Mickler’s Landing Turtle Patrol
If you find a stranded, injured or deceased sea turtle along Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, please text photos and the location to:
904-370-3704
Mickler’s Landing Turtle Patrol (MLTP) is a community group of volunteers dedicated to helping sea turtles thrive in Northeast Florida. MLTP volunteers travel by foot along a 4.6-mile stretch of beach in Ponte Vedra Beach between Sawgrass Beach Club and the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) to monitor sea turtle nests, collect data for sea turtle research, and educate our community on what they can do to help protect sea turtles.
All activities are conducted by authorized personnel under Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Marine Turtle Permit #029.
If you find a stranded, injured, or deceased sea turtle along Ponte Vedra Beach, please text photos and the location to 904-370-3704.
2023 Nesting Numbers
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Loggerhead sea turtles are the most common species of sea turtle that nest on our beach. We usually see between 80 & 100 nests per season. We’ve had as low as 40 nests and as high as 160 nests. Learn more about Loggerhead Sea Turtles.
Below are the final nesting numbers for the 2023 nesting season.
126 Nests
150 False Crawls
Green Sea Turtle
Green sea turtles are the second-most common species of sea turtle that nest on our beach. We usually get a few nests per year, with the record number of nests being 23 during the 2022 nesting season. Learn more about Green Sea Turtles.
Below are the final nesting numbers for the 2023 nesting season.
17 Nests
16 False Crawls
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Leatherback sea turtles are the largest species of sea turtle in the world (and the largest species of turtle period!). These turtles rarely nest on our beach, but we may see about 0-4 nests per year. Learn more about Leatherback Sea Turtles.
Below are the final nesting numbers for the 2023 nesting season.
1 Nest
1 False Crawl
What We Do
Nest Monitoring
Each morning during sea turtle nesting season, MLTP volunteers patrol the beach, marking and monitoring sea turtle nests. Marking and monitoring nests helps us understand sea turtle populations and assist in making informed decisions on how best to protect them.
Once a nest hatches, our volunteers conduct an evaluation or Nest Productivity Assessment (NPA), by digging into the already hatched nest and determining the success rate of the nest. Together with other sea turtle groups, we work to understand sea turtle populations throughout the State of Florida.
Data Collection
Collecting data is a key component to understanding what is happening with sea turtle populations. In addition to monitoring the number of sea turtle nests on our beach and the success rate of each, we support research scientists with collecting critical data points so we can understand ways to better protect sea turtles and the beach ecosystem.
Currently, we collect samples that assist in understanding Loggerhead foraging grounds, nest site fidelity & maternal lineage, and exploring non-invasive strategies in collecting biological data. These research projects are permitted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Community Education
We promote best practices on how our community can help protect sea turtles, and provide opportunities for our guests to see what we do, particularly at nest evaluations later in the nesting season.
At several nest evaluations each season, we invite our community to witness our Nest Productivity Assessment (NPA). During the evaluation, we share facts, stories, and knowledge about sea turtles. Events can be found on our Events page or Facebook page, and we provide up to a 3-day advance notice of the evaluation.