The Georgia Sea Turtle Center

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• Sea turtles have existed unchanged for more than 100 million years. Male sea turtles never return to the shore unless injured, and females come back specifically to lay their eggs. Most of us have never even seen one of these ancient and magnificent creatures.
• It is thought to take 30-35 years for the loggerhead sea turtle to achieve reproductive maturity.
• Approximately 5,000 hatchlings will produce only one reproductively mature adult.
• The Georgia Sea Turtle Center opened June of 2007!The Georgia Sea Turtle Center blends conservation, education and historic preservation in a dynamic and exciting addition to the region.

Jekyll Island has been working in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for twenty years in a program designed to study and help sustain the Sea Turtle population.

Jekyll has the third highest nesting rate on the Georgia Coast and the ease of access for researchers and data collectors makes this not only an ideal location for study but a public education platform as well.

A dedicated corps of individuals implements a program each summer that offers a presentation, then a night walk on beach that helps visitors fully appreciate the life cycle of this marvelous and ancient creature.

Additionally, staff are engaged each summer to document nests and respond to emergencies as situations dictate, such as stranded and/or injured turtles.

The work of this program is an important part of the stewardship of the island and is a fun and interesting method of teaching about the interdependence of various species.