Amelia Island's sea turtle volunteers helped push Florida past its all-time loggerhead nesting record in 2026.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported 136,972 preliminary loggerhead nests statewide through Aug. 31, topping the previous record of 134,930 set in 2023, according to Action News Jax reporter Jenna Bartkovsky on Sunday, Sept. 27. The figures must still be verified before 2026 is officially confirmed as a record year.

Leatherback turtles could set their own statewide record. The FWC documented 2,209 leatherback nests, a total that would surpass the previous high if final review confirms the count. Green turtles added 50,815 nests statewide, and Kemp's ridley turtles had 15 confirmed nests.

The season also produced a rare find: Florida's first confirmed olive ridley nest of 2026, which the FWC called one of the year's most remarkable discoveries.

Amelia Island's strong season

Locally, Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch (AISTW) volunteers had documented 285 nests as of July 28, including 280 loggerhead nests and 5 green turtle nests, according to The County Insider. That made 2026 the island's second-highest nest count on record, trailing only 2019, when volunteers logged 301 nests.

At the same point in 2025, Amelia Island had recorded just 133 nests. Loggerhead females nest four to six times per season, laying eggs about every two weeks before taking a year or two off. That cycle made 2026 an especially productive "on" year, according to The County Insider.

AISTW volunteers monitor 11.5 miles of Atlantic shoreline and began the season's first nest excavation on July 11. During that dig, 160 hatchlings had already emerged, with none left behind, according to The County Insider's excavation report. Excavations are open to the public, and when live hatchlings are found, volunteers release them on the spot.

The group is also marking its 10th consecutive year in the University of Georgia's Loggerhead DNA Project. Researchers collect the top egg from loggerhead nests across North Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina to track individual females and their nesting patterns, according to The County Insider.

The FWC credited the statewide results to the work of permit holders, volunteers, interns and partners across the state. Nesting season runs through Oct. 31, and AISTW excavations remain open to the public through the end of the season. Schedules are posted at ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com.