For the third year in a row, loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings have been found on Louisiana’s Chandeleur Islands. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Project Manager Todd Baker says a total of 60 hatchlings emerged from two nests in 2024.
“We’re working very closely with our federal partners. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA are both very excited in the discovery of these turtles out there.”
Baker says this discovery is part of a 300-million-dollar restoration project for the islands, which is expected to be completed by 2026.
“This is our largest barrier island we have in Louisiana, and to do it right is going to take about a $300 million project to do it correctly.”
Since 2022, Baker says the islands have seen 136 turtle crawls, making it one of the highest-density nesting beaches in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
“I would just point out that this is the only nesting ground we have in Louisiana for sea turtles, and it also includes the Kemp’s ridley which is the most endangered sea turtle in the world is nesting out there in good numbers.”
The Chandeleur Islands also support various rare species and important coastal habitats.