CLEARWATER, FL – After the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported several sea turtle nests being disturbed, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is reminding both Pinellas County residents and visitors to take care. Sea turtle nesting season, which runs through Oct. 31, is a critical time for sea turtles.

These threatened and endangered species of sea turtles continue to return to the original beach where they were born to lay their own eggs in nesting areas where generations of sea turtles have been hatched.

Five species of sea turtles nest along beaches in Florida, including leatherbacks, green sea turtles, loggerheads, Kemp’s ridley and hawksbills.

Disturbing a sea turtle nest is a crime the FWC takes seriously.

FWC Officer Specialist Michael Morrison spent months tracking down the person responsible for disturbing a turtle nest in Sarasota. He eventually found the culprit and turned the case over to the Sarasota State Attorney’s Office for prosecution. READ MORE