Miami Beach Turtle Fest Ushers in Return of Sea Turtles

Miami Beach, FL – Join the City of Miami Beach for a “shell-a-bration” of the annual return of sea turtles on Saturday, April 12 from 3-6 p.m. at Altos Del Mar Park. The family-friendly event will feature sea turtle experts, beach cleanups, craft activities, games as well as food and beverages from local vendors. The park is located at 76 Street and Collins Avenue.

“This year's Turtle Fest also marks the introduction of the city's Artistic Recycling Pilot Program at Altos Del Mar Park,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. “The pilot will be publicly unveiled during the event and run through June 1.”

The Artistic Recycling Pilot Program incorporates an artistic recycling receptacle to encourage more people to recycle in a fun and engaging way. In developing the program, the city partnered with local nonprofits Moonlighter FabLab and Clean Miami Beach. The pilot is funded by the North Beach Community Redevelopment Agency.

“We're proud to kick off our Artistic Recycling Pilot Program with "Nemo" in a fun, new & innovative way to incentivize recycling in our community and to bring dynamic proposals to Miami Beach, especially here North Beach,” explained Miami Beach Commissioner Joseph Magazine, the program's sponsor. “Turtle Fest is a reminder of what we can do when we work together. That starts with small actions to protect sea turtles: keeping lights low along the shore, using long-wavelength bulbs, and recycling to keep plastic out of our ocean. Together, we can make a real difference.”

The annual sea turtle nesting season in Miami Beach runs from April 1 to  Oct. 31, beginning one month earlier than other parts of Florida. Turtle Fest also marks the start of the city’s annual Flip the Switch campaign to reduce the use of artificial lighting along the beachfront. Harsh lighting confuses sea turtle hatchlings, leading them to mistakenly crawl toward the artificial lights instead of the ocean. The campaign is intended to educate property owners, managers, residents and visitors about precautions they can take to avoid disturbing sea turtles during their annual nesting season.

The first leatherback nest of 2025 was identified in Miami Beach on Feb. 16. Once hatchlings break free of their soft golf ball-like shells, they must find their way to the ocean to increase their chances of survival. The process can be filled with peril as a result of predators, pollution, human-made obstacles, climate change, disease and harsh lights along the beachfront.

Miami Beach is home to three of the five species of sea turtles found in Florida — loggerheads, leatherbacks and green turtles.

For more information on Turtle Fest and sea turtle nesting season, visit www.MBRisingAbove.com/SeaTurtles.

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