Skip to content
Can I go today?

Nesting season March 1 to October 31

Sea turtles and turtle walks in Juno Beach

The short answer

Sea turtle nesting season in Juno Beach, Florida runs March 1 to October 31, according to Loggerhead Marinelife Center, with leatherbacks nesting first, then loggerheads, then green turtles. LMC recorded 20,871 nests in 2025 on the beach it monitors. Its Guided Turtle Walks return in summer 2027, offered from June 1. On the beach at night, keep lights off and never touch a turtle or a hatchling.

Last checked October 20, 2026

A loggerhead hatchling crawls across dark wet sand toward the surf at sunrise, with a second small turtle near the waterline and a pale sky with scattered clouds.
Photo: Veronica Runge / NOAA's National Ocean Service, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) in Juno Beach monitors the nesting beach, runs the public turtle programs and treats sick and injured turtles. FWC sets the state’s lighting guidance. Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation runs Juno Beach Park and Loggerhead Park on the nesting beach. On Oct. 19, 2026 there were 12 days left in the 2026 nesting season, and LMC’s Turtle Walk page was headed “RETURNS SUMMER 2027”.

When is nesting season?

LMC says nesting season “runs annually from March 1 to October 31,” and FWC’s lighting guidance also uses October 31 as the end of the season. Three species nest here in overlapping periods: leatherbacks first, then loggerheads, then green turtles. LMC says the leatherback is the least common of the three, and that “Nesting is highest for loggerhead sea turtles in June and July.”

  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center says nesting season "runs annually from March 1 to October 31." FWC's lighting guidance likewise says decorative lights should stay off until "after sea turtle nesting season ends, October 31." Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Research; FWC: Sea Turtles and Lights
  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center studies leatherback, loggerhead and green turtles, which nest "during different, often overlapping periods", with leatherbacks first, then loggerheads, then green turtles. It says the leatherback is the least common of the three. Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Research

Seasons can start early. LMC documented the earliest nest it has ever recorded on Feb. 11, 2026, and notes that the earliest nest on record in Florida was on Feb. 4, 2025. Eight days after that 2026 nest, LMC set Juno Beach Pier hours to sunrise to sunset “Due to early sea turtle nesting activity”. See pier hours.

  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center says that on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 it documented "the earliest sea turtle nest ever recorded by the Center". It notes the earliest nest on record in Florida was on February 4, 2025. Loggerhead Marinelife Center news release, Feb. 11, 2026
  • Above its seasonal hours, Loggerhead Marinelife Center posts: "Due to early sea turtle nesting activity, effective February 19, 2026 Pier hours are sunrise – sunset." The page does not say when the winter late-night hours return. Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Juno Beach Pier, Hours

LMC’s night-time leatherback surveys start “the first week of April” and wrap up “the second week of June”, according to its night-time program page. These are research surveys, not public tours.

How many nests?

LMC monitors 8.5 miles of beach, from the Jupiter Inlet Colony south to John D. MacArthur Beach State Park. LMC calls this “one of the most densely nested beaches in the world, with peak years of more than 20,000 nests.” That is LMC’s description. Its count for 2025 was 20,871 nests from leatherbacks, loggerheads and green turtles. LMC’s own pages differ on the length of the stretch: one says 8.5 miles, down from 9.5, and another says “7+ mile”. We use 8.5 miles, the figure in LMC’s 2026 release.

  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center says its monitored 8.5 miles of beach, from the Jupiter Inlet Colony south to John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, is "one of the most densely nested beaches in the world, with peak years of more than 20,000 nests." Its Turtle Walk page says "Juno Beach, however, is one of the densest nesting sites for loggerhead sea turtles in the world." These are LMC's claims. Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Research; Guided Turtle Walks
  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center says that in 2025 its researchers recorded a total of 20,871 sea turtle nests from leatherbacks, loggerheads and green turtles. Loggerhead Marinelife Center news release, Feb. 11, 2026
  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center's research page and Feb. 11, 2026 release say it now monitors an 8.5-mile stretch (down from 9.5 miles in earlier seasons, with FWC covering the rest of northern Palm Beach County). Its night-time leatherback page describes "the 7+ mile stretch of beach from the Jupiter Inlet to the northern boundary of John D. MacArthur State Park". Use 8.5 miles for the current monitored stretch. Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Research and Sea Turtle Health & Behavior pages

For scale, FWC says loggerhead nest counts on Florida’s 27 core index beaches ranged from 28,876 in 2007 to 71,009 in 2023, and that “over 50,000 nests” were documented on those beaches in 2025.

  • FWC says loggerhead nest counts on Florida's 27 core index beaches ranged from a low of 28,876 in 2007 to a high of 71,009 in 2023, and that in 2025 "over 50,000 nests" were documented on those beaches. FWC: Index Nesting Beach Survey Totals (1989-2025)

On the beach during nesting season

LMC asks beachgoers to follow these steps from March to October:

  • Never approach or touch a nesting turtle.
  • Keep lights off at night, including flash photography and phone screens.
  • Let hatchlings crawl to the sea on their own.
  • Use marked beach accesses and stay off the dunes.
  • Take chairs, umbrellas and other gear off the beach before dark.
  • Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles.

LMC says touching, prodding or shining lights on a nesting turtle, and removing hatchlings from a nest, is illegal. Palm Beach County also bans balloons at Juno Beach Park and Loggerhead Park, a commitment with LMC “to promote the safety and protection of sea turtles.”

  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center asks beachgoers never to approach or touch a nesting turtle, to keep lights off including flash and phones, to let hatchlings crawl to the sea on their own, to use marked beach accesses and stay off dunes, to remove chairs, umbrellas and gear before dark, and to fill in holes and knock down sandcastles. It says touching, prodding or shining lights on a nesting turtle, and removing hatchlings from a nest, is illegal. Loggerhead Marinelife Center news release, Feb. 11, 2026
  • Palm Beach County says "The use of balloons is prohibited at this park" at Juno Beach Park and Loggerhead Park, a commitment by Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the county "to promote the safety and protection of sea turtles." Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation: Juno Beach Park
A sea turtle nest marked with three orange stakes, pink tape and a yellow notice sign on the sand, in front of a wooden lifeguard tower numbered 5 with a green roof, sea-grape dune behind, and a blue sky with white clouds.
A staked sea turtle nest on a Palm Beach County beach (Boca Raton). Photo: Ianaré Sévi, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lights near the beach

FWC’s beachfront lighting guidance has three rules: Keep it Low, Keep it Long and Keep it Shielded. It says lamps “must produce only long wavelength light (560 nm or greater, which is amber, orange, or red)”, and FWC keeps a list of local lighting ordinances by county and town. If you rent or own on the beach, read FWC’s lighting page before nesting season. LMC’s Feb. 11, 2026 release says the voluntary Sea Turtle Protection Zone (STPZ) has been expanded to include “Palm Beach County’s entire 45-mile stretch of coastline.”

  • FWC's beachfront lighting guidance has three golden rules, Keep it Low, Keep it Long and Keep it Shielded; it says lamps "must produce only long wavelength light (560 nm or greater, which is amber, orange, or red)". FWC keeps a list of lighting ordinances by county and municipality. FWC: Sea Turtle Lighting Guidelines
  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center's Feb. 11, 2026 release says the voluntary Sea Turtle Protection Zone (STPZ) has been expanded to include "Palm Beach County's entire 45-mile stretch of coastline." Loggerhead Marinelife Center news release, Feb. 11, 2026

If you find a hatchling or an injured turtle

LMC says a disoriented hatchling can be taken to its 24-hour rescue cooler at the entrance of the center, at 14200 U.S. Highway 1, carried in a bucket with damp sand and no water. For an injured sea turtle, LMC says to call FWC at 888-404-3922.

Turtle Walks: returns summer 2027

LMC’s Guided Turtle Walks page is headed “RETURNS SUMMER 2027”. The walks are “Offered from June 1”, for ages 10 and up, and “officially scheduled from 9pm – 12am”; if no turtle has been spotted by midnight, the program ends. LMC runs public walks Tuesday to Saturday in June and July under a state permit, takes a small number of people each night, and gives no refunds if no turtle is seen. A sighting is never guaranteed. LMC has not posted 2027 dates or prices, so we do not give any.

  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center's Guided Turtle Walks page is headed "RETURNS SUMMER 2027". The walks are "Offered from June 1", for ages 10+, and "officially scheduled from 9pm – 12am"; if no turtle has been spotted by midnight the program ends. LMC says it runs public walks Tuesday to Saturday in June and July under a state permit, takes only a small number of people per night, and gives no refunds if no turtle is seen. Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Guided Turtle Walks

On the walk itself, LMC says flashlights are not permitted and “We do not permit photography of any form throughout the program.” You must be able to walk up to half a mile on the beach. Dark clothing is preferred, and walks run rain or shine, stopping for lightning. LMC posts news about the 2027 season on its Turtle Walk page.

  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center says flashlights are not permitted and "We do not permit photography of any form throughout the program." Participants must be able to walk up to half a mile on the beach; dark clothing is preferred; it runs rain or shine and stays off the beach only for lightning. Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Guided Turtle Walks

Hatchling programs

LMC’s Hatchling Releases are “Offered from August 1”, for ages 10 and up, about two hours, using hatchlings from nests its research team excavated earlier that day. LMC also lists morning Hatchling Discovery programs from August 1. Neither comes with a guarantee or refunds. LMC: Hatchling Releases.

  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center says Hatchling Releases are "Offered from August 1" (ages 10+, 2 hours), using hatchlings from nests excavated earlier that day by its research team, with no guarantee and no refunds. Its Eco Experiences page says evening Hatchling Releases and morning Hatchling Discovery programs start August 1. Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Hatchling Releases

Out of season

Outside the program windows LMC publishes (walks offered from June 1, hatchling programs from August 1), the center itself is the place to see sea turtles up close. Loggerhead Marinelife Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission, and its outdoor sea turtle hospital has 26 patient pools. TurtleFest, LMC’s free festival at Loggerhead Park, is set for Feb. 20-21, 2027. See events.

Check your dates

Pick a date below to see which seasons and programs apply to it, with their sources.

Decision tool · can I go?

Can I go to the pier on this date?

Pick a date. We check it against every schedule the operators publish: the pier's hours, the 2026 refurbishment, sea turtle nesting season, Loggerhead Marinelife Center's hours and holiday closures, lifeguard hours, Turtle Walks, TurtleFest and hurricane season.

Dated events coming up

  1. SatFeb 20

    TurtleFest 2027 at Loggerhead Park · 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free

    Loggerhead Marinelife Center's TurtleFest FAQ still gives the 2026 dates; the page headline says February 20-21, 2027.

    Add to Google Calendar

  2. SunFeb 21

    TurtleFest 2027 at Loggerhead Park · 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free

    Add to Google Calendar

The published schedules this checker uses

Worked out from schedules checked October 19, 2026: Loggerhead Marinelife Center's pier, center, Turtle Walk and TurtleFest pages, Palm Beach County's lifeguard page and NOAA's hurricane season dates. Where an operator's own pages disagree, the checker says so.

Thinking about mornings like this every week? See what living in Juno Beach is like.

Living in Juno Beach

Mar1Mon

Sea turtle nesting season 2027

Organiser date for 2027
  • Mar 1 – Oct 31
  • Annually March 1 to October 31
  • Juno Beach and northern Palm Beach County beaches

LMC says nesting season runs annually from March 1 to October 31, with leatherbacks first, then loggerheads, then green turtles. Nests can come earlier: LMC recorded its earliest nest on Feb. 11, 2026.

Annual season dates from LMC's research page.

Add to calendar: Google Apple / Outlook (.ics)

Free Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Research, checked 2026-10-19

Jun—TBA

LMC Guided Turtle Walks (2027 season)

Page says "RETURNS SUMMER 2027" and "Offered from June 1"; June-July Tuesday-Saturday pattern; 2027 dates not yet published.
  • Offered from June 1; Tuesday to Saturday in June and July; 9pm to 12am
  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center and Juno Beach

A permitted, small-group night program to watch a loggerhead nest, ages 10+. LMC's page says the walks return in summer 2027; no 2027 booking dates or prices are posted yet. No flashlights or photography; no refunds if no turtle is seen.

Ticketed (price not captured) Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Guided Turtle Walks, checked 2026-10-19

Sea turtle questions

When can I see sea turtles in Juno Beach?

At Loggerhead Marinelife Center, any open day: it is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission, and you can see patients in the outdoor sea turtle hospital. To watch nesting, LMC's guided Turtle Walks are offered from June 1, Tuesday to Saturday in June and July, and return in summer 2027. Hatchling releases start August 1.

Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Guided Turtle Walks; Plan Your Visit

What should I do if I hook a sea turtle?

Loggerhead Marinelife Center runs the Responsible Pier Initiative, which the county says covers this pier, putting rescue nets, signage and trained first responders on participating piers. LMC says: "If you spot an injured sea turtle, call Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-3922." Tell pier staff straight away.

Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Responsible Pier Initiative

Can I bring balloons to the beach?

No. Palm Beach County says "The use of balloons is prohibited" at Juno Beach Park and Loggerhead Park. It says Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the county agreed the ban to protect sea turtles.

Source: Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation: Juno Beach Park

When is sea turtle nesting season in Juno Beach?

Loggerhead Marinelife Center says nesting season runs annually from March 1 to October 31. Leatherbacks nest first, then loggerheads, then green turtles. Nests can come earlier: LMC recorded its earliest nest ever on February 11, 2026.

Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Research

How do Loggerhead Marinelife Center's Turtle Walks work?

LMC scouts search the beach while your group hears a presentation; if a loggerhead starts laying eggs, the group is led down to watch. The program runs 9pm to 12am for ages 10 and up, with no flashlights or photography. Places are limited by the state permit, and there are no refunds if no turtle is seen.

Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Guided Turtle Walks

Is Juno Beach really one of the busiest turtle nesting beaches?

Loggerhead Marinelife Center says its monitored 8.5 miles, from the Jupiter Inlet Colony to John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, is "one of the most densely nested beaches in the world, with peak years of more than 20,000 nests." It recorded 20,871 nests in 2025 from leatherbacks, loggerheads and green turtles.

Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Research; news release Feb. 11, 2026

What should I do if I see a nesting turtle or hatchlings?

LMC asks you to keep your distance, stay quiet and keep all lights off, including phones and flash. Let hatchlings crawl to the ocean on their own. It says touching or shining lights on a nesting turtle, or removing hatchlings from a nest, is illegal. A disoriented hatchling can go in LMC's 24-hour rescue cooler at the Center entrance, carried in damp sand.

Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center news release, Feb. 11, 2026

What are the lighting rules for sea turtles?

FWC's beachfront lighting guidance is to keep lights low, long and shielded, using only long-wavelength amber, orange or red light (560 nm or more). FWC says decorative lights should stay off until nesting season ends on October 31. LMC asks residents to close blinds at night to cut sky glow.

Source: FWC: Sea Turtle Lighting Guidelines

What is the sea turtle hospital at Loggerhead Marinelife Center?

LMC's FPL Outdoor Sea Turtle Hospital has 17 patient pools, plus 8 ICU pools and a deep dive tank, 26 in all. Its veterinary hospital has CT and X-ray imaging, a surgical suite and a treatment room you can see through observation windows. LMC calls it the only sea turtle hospital between Orlando and the Florida Keys.

Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Sea Turtle Hospital; About

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: Loggerhead Marinelife Center (pier operator)

Living here

Like a morning on the pier? See what living near it looks like.

LPE Realty LLC, a licensed Florida real estate brokerage serving South Florida, is behind this guide. If a day at Juno Beach has you thinking about a home near the water, talk to us about buying or selling here.

Visit LPE Realty LLC Call LPE Realty LLC (561) 652-6917

What is it like to live in Juno Beach? · Thinking of selling a home near the pier?