Sarasota County's first turtle hatches

Sarasota County’s first turtle nest of the season hatched Tuesday, June 30, on Longboat Key.

This season’s nesting numbers have been similar to those from last year. Longboat Key Turtle Watch volunteers and Mote Marine officials have recorded 148 turtle nests through July 4 of this year in Sarasota and Manatee counties, compared to 161 for the same period in 2008.

Turtle nesting season runs May 1 through Oct. 31. Visit www.mote.org for a list of do’s and don’ts during nesting season.