Destin-Fort Walton Beach is home to four of our seven types of sea turtles! You can see Loggerhead, Green, Kemp's Ridley, and even Leatherback sea turtles in our Gulf of Mexico waters!
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When is sea turtle season in Florida? You'll find sea turtle season runs from March through October every year. During sea turtle season, Florida beaches transform into nurseries for turtle eggs and hatchlings. Ninety percent of sea turtles that nest in the United States nest on Florida beaches.
The largest green turtle nesting population is found at Tortuguero, on the coast of Costa Rica where about 22,500 green turtle females nest annually. Raine Island, on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, has the second largest nesting population of about 18,000 females per season.
The majority of this nesting takes place in five counties on the east coast of Florida (Brevard, Indian River, St.Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties). Beaches in these counties represent approximately 20 percent (160 miles) of the 835 miles of beach in Florida where sea turtle nesting activity is monitored.
The lifeguards actively patrol the 7 miles of Destin beaches from March to October of each year. We encourage everyone to swim near a lifeguard and heed their advice on water safety conditions. Rip Current Information provided by the National Weather Service. View the National Weather Service Rip Current Risk Map.
Sea turtles usually only come ashore late at night or early morning before sunrise and they are intent on creating their nests, laying their eggs and getting back in the ocean as quickly as their ponderous bodies will permit.
The best time to visit Destin is in April and May when the water is warm, the sun is shining and the temperatures are comfortable (expect highs in the mid-70s and 80s).
After the sun sets, the beach is a whole new playground!Bring a bucket and some red flashlights (the red light protects local sea turtles) and search for ghost crabs scurrying across the sand.