Loggerhead Marinelife Center highlights eight sea turtle inspired items to raise awareness for sea turtle nesting season.

Sea Turtle Nesting Season in Palm Beach County

Loggerhead Marinelife Center monitors and protects 9.5 miles of critical sea turtle nesting beach in Palm Beach County.

Although sea turtle nesting season officially kicks-off in Palm Beach County (PBC) on March 1 and runs through October 31, sea turtles may lay their nests early or late. On February 27, Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s (LMC) researchers recorded the Center’s first sea turtle nest of the 2021 season, a leatherback nest. Only a few days later our researchers documented our second nest of the season, another leatherback nest laid on March 1. The 9.5 mile stretch of beach LMC monitors and protects happens to be one of the most densely nested sea turtle beaches in the entire world. Last year, our researchers documented nearly 17,000 nests, which produced an estimated 800,000 hatchlings. The 2020 nesting season marks LMC’s third-highest nesting season recorded to date.

Because we monitor and protect a critical sea turtle nesting beach, our Center works to conduct innovative studies and promote awareness to help conserve endangered and threatened sea turtles. Since LMC is an admission-free nonprofit, our Center funds our conservation efforts through donations, grants, and retail. Currently, our retail component funds more than a third of LMC’s efforts. All purchases made on our online store or in-person provide funds to help rehabilitate and research sea turtles. Because of our loyal customers, we were able to achieve several accomplishments last year despite the pandemic, including:

• released 48 sea turtle patients back into the wild
• released 802 sea turtle hatchlings back into the wild
• treated 113 sea turtle patients at LMC
• partnered with 187 organizations across 20 countries
• celebrated the 20th year of LMC’s The Leatherback Project
• tagged 7 nesting female loggerhead sea turtles for the first year of LMC’s clutch frequency project

Our customers are an integral part of our ability to pursue our mission and vision of serving as a leading authority in sea turtle and ocean conservation, as well as helping LMC generate more awareness. Around the globe, our supporters drive awareness for sea turtle and ocean conservation by representing items from our store. And because of that, we are able to have a greater reach and connect more individuals to conservation.

8 Items To Celebrate Nesting Season

To celebrate the official start of sea turtle nesting season in PBC, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite sea turtle inspired items. Whether it’s a gift for you, a care package for a loved one, or a surprise package to introduce someone LMC, our store has an item for everyone. From the smallest hatchling to the biggest deep diver in your life, our items suit any age.

A Card For The Science Enthusiast

Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s Sea Turtles of the World Card is available for purchase online or in-store.

When looking for a gift for the science enthusiast in your life, look no further than our Sea Turtles of the World Card. Your loved one that can name all seven sea turtle species and properly identify the turtles’ preferred diet will enjoy receiving this card, which features interesting sea turtle facts and images of all of the species of sea turtles. Compliment this card with the gift of marine education. Your favorite science enthusiast will gladly welcome participating in the tour at LMC or a guided Turtle Walk experience during the peak of sea turtle nesting season.

A Sea Turtle Inspired Card For Animal Lovers

Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s online store offers a selection of artistic sea turtle inspired gifts.

Any animal or coastal lover will appreciate our Honu Dream Greeting Card. Wish your loved one the best by reminding them that the Hawaiian green sea turtle, known as “Honu,” symbolizes good luck, endurance, and long life.  The vibrant card featuring artwork by Lauren Roth will brighten your loved ones’ day. Tell your loved one about sea turtle nesting season and set a date to participate in one of LMC’s summer programs, which provides participants with a glimpse at a day in the life of an LMC researcher.

A Shirt To Remember To Keep Swimming

Browse through Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s unisex apparel options to select a gift for your sea turtle-loving friend.

It’s been a rough past twelve months for everyone, especially those that work in healthcare. Spread a little cheer and encouragement by gifting this unisex Bold Sea Turtle Short Sleeve T-Shirt to a friend. Remind your friend to take advice from a sea turtle – just keep swimming, ride the current, and come up for air every so often. If your friend needs extra love, add in a sea turtle plushie to provide them with comfort.

Sea Turtle Inspired Shorts For Daydreaming

Shoppers can choose from a wide selection of sea turtle inspired apparel on Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s online store.

Summer weather may be beginning to creep into South Florida, but that’s not the case for the rest of the world. Select this sea turtle inspired Sea Turtle Lounge Shorts for someone who needs to escape winter and daydream about the tropics. Featuring a bright tropical pink and blue floral design with smiling sea turtles, these shorts will instantly transport your special someone to their favorite summer oasis. If the weather where your loved one lives is still too cold to sport shorts inside, opt for our Sea Turtle Lounge Pants instead.

A Bracelet To Remember To Be Like A Turtle

Raise awareness for Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s conservation efforts while reminding a loved one to be at ease with a Sea Turtle Wish Bracelet.

We can all apply the advice from a sea turtle to our own lives. Not only are sea turtles resilient and well-traveled, but they remind us to be comfortable in our own shell, stay calm under pressure, and every so often return home. It’s easy to forget these pieces of wisdom, but our Sea Turtle Wish Bracelet gently reminds those who wear it to be like a sea turtle. When you put this bracelet on for the first time, set a sea turtle inspired intention to keep in mind as a reminder to improve your life. For ocean lovers, check out our Wave Wish Bracelet.

A Decal To Inspire Others To Save Sea Turtles

With many sea turtle inspired decals to choose from, Loggerhead Marinelife Center offers a design for anyone.

Spark a conversation about sea turtle conservation by sporting our Blue & Yellow Sea Turtle Decal. Add this decal to your car, laptop, water bottle, locker, or desk to raise awareness for saving sea turtles. If this decal provokes discussion, encourage your listeners to learn about LMC’s mission, as well as sea turtle conservation in your local area. Direct your inquisitive companion to learn about the global Sea Turtle Rescue Alliance, in which LMC serves as the flagship U.S. hospital.

A Luggage Tag For The Wanderlust

Opt to give your wanderlust friend a sea turtle luggage tag, from Loggerhead Marinelife Center, as a symbol of global travel.

We all have that one wanderlust friend or loved one in our life – the one who will pack their bag at a moment’s notice and has taken multiple international trips. If a sea turtle isn’t their personal symbol already, it should be. Global travels, sea turtles have been known to use the currents to travel the globe. Leatherback sea turtles have been documented traveling as many as 10,000 miles or more each year. Although global traveling has been placed on pause due to the pandemic, gift our Sea Turtle Luggage Tag to your adventure-seeking friend as an encouragement to plan their post-pandemic trips.

A Car Coaster For Those Longing For Summer

Sea turtle lovers can find an array of sea turtle inspired items, such as car coasters, on Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s online store.

Because of the pandemic, last year, many of our LMC supporters were not able to make their annual summer trip to South Florida. Instead, they were forced to stay put in their hometown – longing for their tropical summer vacation. Send your favorite LMC companion our Green & Pink Sea Turtle Absorbent Car Coaster to remind them that summer is around the corner. These coastal-inspired coasters will add a touch of the Florida sun to any car and set the mood for a long-awaited summer.

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*All purchases made through Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s retail operations directly support sea turtle and ocean conservation. However, the Choice Matters sustainable commerce program takes this one step further. The program focuses on highlighting items in one of three categories (Made in the USA, Reduced Waste, or Responsible Sourcing), as well as using sustainable packaging to ship orders. Learn more at Choice Matters.