TURTLE WATCH
RESERVATIONS
Excitement is in the air! Get ready to be part of something extraordinary at Canaveral National Seashore. Ranger-Guided Turtle Watch Tours are offered in June and July, weather permitting. While there are no guarantees in nature, the group will walk up to 1/2 mile with their Ranger and hope to observe a Loggerhead sea turtle laying her nest and returning to the ocean. The evening concludes by helping to mark the nest for research purposes. Participants will choose a name for the Turtle.
The programs are open to all persons 8 years of age and older.
Reservations have a maximum of six (6) persons per reservation. The fee for this program is $25 per person for ages 16 and above and $10 for those ages 15 and under.
The programs will be presented in both Apollo and Playalinda Districts and run from 8 p.m. until midnight on most Fridays and Saturdays.
Participants meet their Ranger at a Visitor Center and caravan by private vehicle to a parking lot near the beach. If you have questions or are not going to make it, please call the Visitor Center at 386-428-3384.
We ask parents to ensure this activity is suitable for their children to limit noise and avoid disturbing the turtles and other participants. Because the group size is limited, the only refunds that will be issued is in a situation when the tour is cancelled due to weather or an unsafe beach situation.
All participants are asked to arrive at the Apollo or Playalinda Visitor Information Center (depending on where your reservation has been made) no later than 7:45 p.m. on the date of their reservation.
Turtle Watch programs begin promptly at 8:00 p.m. with check-in at the Visitor Information Center. The program will be a combination of discussion, demonstration, and viewing a variety of materials. We cannot guarantee that a nesting sea turtle will be viewed, but that is our highest priority for the evening.
Bring bottled water and a snack. You should plan to eat supper prior to arriving at the program. We will be together in a group of 40 people for approximately four (4) hours without an opportunity to leave the park. No food concessions are available at the park.
You will be expected to walk as much as a ¼ mile to reach a nesting sea turtle, if one is located by our scout. That means a ¼ mile walk back as well, in darkness, on loose sand in both directions.
Bring insect repellent as you can expect to encounter stinging and biting insects during the outdoor portion of the program. Loose fitting, lightweight long-sleeved and long-legged clothing is recommended. Following summer thunderstorms, we can experience very cool nighttime air temperatures, so bring a sweatshirt or light sweater.
Flashlights and cameras ARE NOT ALLOWED on the beach during Turtle Watch programs. Please do not ask the Park Ranger to make an exception. This includes cell phones which MUST BE OFF during the program.
We reserve the right to cancel and/or reschedule any program for the purpose of resource and visitor protection.
If for any reason you must change or cancel your reservation, please do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that others can fill your position.
Thank you for your time and consideration of the above listed information. If you have any questions, please call the Visitor Information Center at 386.428.3384.
Note: This tour is not ADA Compliant. Participants must be able to walk 1/2 mile on soft sand.
