The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation documented the first sea turtle nest of 2024 on Sanibel and Captiva and the first nest from a leatherback on Sanibel in four years.
The turtle's hatching marked the beginning of a cascade of loggerhead nests that are currently hatching on the islands.
During an inventory of the leatherback nest, SCCF biologists and permitted volunteers documented 113 eggs, including 40 emerged leatherback hatchlings.
SCCF says they have also documented 243 emerged loggerhead hatchlings this season as of Tuesday.