SHELL YEAH: Tybee Island hits sea turtle nesting season record

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - Tybee Island is having its biggest sea turtle nesting season in history.

So far, 39 sea turtle nests have been made during the 2026 nesting season, according to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. That number eclipses the previous record of 35 set in 2022.

Loggerhead sea turtles are the most common turtle species to leave nests in the sand. The turtles travel hundreds of miles to return to the beaches where they hatched.

Once a sea turtle lays a nest, the eggs take 50-60 days to hatch.

Sea turtle nesting season runs through August, and the number of nests on the island is expected to rise.