Sea turtles along the coast of Florida

I worked as a nighttime sea turtle field technician during the sea turtle nesting season of 2023. I primarily focused on nesting female leatherbacks, which are considered vulnerable to extinction and protected under the Endangered Species Act. All images and work was conducted under permit FWC MTP-205. 

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center research team monitors the 15.2 km of beach bordering the center. On these beaches, leatherback, loggerhead, and green turtles will lay over 20,000 nests each year. South Florida beaches host over 42% of the world loggerhead nesting population and are regionally important areas for leatherback and green sea turtles. 

My field work involved encountering female sea turtles when they came up to nest and lay their eggs. At different points in the nesting process, we can collect different samples and information to learn more about the nesting female's health and then connect that to how successful her offspring are. 

Can you tell which photo is not of a leatherback sea turtle?