06/01/2026
Thank you to the Gulf Coast Turtle watch for educating us all.
🐢 FALSE CRAWLS 🐢
Not every sea turtle crawl ends with a nest.
A False Crawl happens when a female sea turtle comes ashore to lay her eggs, but returns to the Gulf before digging a nest. You’ll often see the tracks in the sand, but no nest at the end.
Why does this happen?
🌙 Obstacles left on the beach overnight
(chairs, tents, toys, holes, trash, etc.)
👣 Human interaction or disturbances
💡 Artificial lights confusing or deterring her
⚠️ She simply didn’t feel safe leaving her clutch in that location
After a false crawl, she may swim farther down the beach and try again another night… or sadly, may release her eggs into the water instead.
Every dark, clean, flat beach gives nesting moms a better chance for success. Please remember to:
✔ Fill in holes
✔ Knock down sand castles
✔ Remove beach gear nightly
✔ Use sea turtle friendly lighting
✔ Give nesting turtles plenty of space
The tracks tell a story — and we can all help make it a successful one. 💚🐢