Loggerhead sea turtle nesting season officially began in Georgia with the first confirmed nests reported on Tuesday, May 6. Nests were found on St. Catherines Island and Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Mark Dodd, the Georgia Sea Turtle Program coordinator, noted that the annual return of loggerhead turtles to lay eggs on Southeast beaches typically starts around the first of May.

The outlook for how the current nesting season will progress remains uncertain. Last year, the state recorded 1,879 loggerhead nests, a significant decrease from the 4,071 nests reported in 2022, which marked a record high since comprehensive surveys began in 1989.

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