3/31/2022

5 Places to See Turtles During Turtle Fest

Join Loggerhead Marinelife Center at this weekend’s 17th Annual TurtleFest.

It’s free admission on Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ocean conservation through interactive educational exhibits and marine life, music, art, shopping, games, and other family-friendly activities are planned. All ages are welcome at this things to do in Jupiter event.

In honor of TurtleFest, here’s 5 places to see the graceful critters in both salt and fresh water:

RIVERBEND PARK

Yellow bellies – that’s what we call the shelled reptiles that like to lounge on fallen cypress trees and swim in the waters of the Wild & Scenic Loxahatchee River.

JUPITER OUTDOOR CENTER rents kayaks and canoes for hourly or daylong adventures on the Loxahatchee — which means “River of Turtles” in the Seminole language.

Either take a tour with one of JUPITER OUTDOOR CENTER’S expert guides or paddle out on your own. Keep your eyes peeled for other wildlife – everything from deer to great blue herons to otters to an occasional ‘gator.

Rather pedal than paddle? Bicycles — tandems, fat tires, kids bikes, bikes with baskets, bikes with baby trailers — JUPITER OUTDOOR CENTER  has ’em for rent by the hour or all day on your things to do in Jupiter adventure.

To rent a watercraft or bicycle, click here.

PADDLE FROM SAWFISH BAY

The bright red Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is directly ahead when you shove off in your kayak or stand-up paddle board from Sawfish Bay.

As you paddle on the clear turquoise waters of the Jupiter Inlet, spotting a green, leatherback or loggerhead sea turtle is easy. You’ll be amazed at the speed of these graceful and speedy creatures.

Turtles won’t be your only visitors. Whisker-nosed manatees may mosy by, gulping a deep breath before they dive. Roseate spoonbills, egrets and pelicans may swoop overhead. Tropical and colorful tropical fish swim along the shore. Big starfish lay still on the sandy bottom.

To rent a watercraft from JUPITER OUTDOOR CENTER, click here. 

JUPITER OUTDOOR CENTER will deliver the watercraft, paddles, seats and life vests to Sawfish Bay at the time you desire. Tell us when you plan to return to Sawfish Bay. We’ll meet you to pick up the equipment.

BTW, parking is free at Sawfish Bay for your things to do in Jupiter tour.

BOAT CRUISE ALONG THE JUPITER INLET

Expect to see turtles and more when you take a leisurely sightseeing boat cruise past the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, up the Intracoastal, Indian River or Fullerton Island. Watch for more wildlife while enjoying the beautiful tropical water on your tour from Charlie & Joe’s at Love Street.

You’re welcome to bring your own food or drink on board to enjoy as we cruise on your things to do in Jupiter adventure. Your boat captain will tell tales of local history and celebrity homes.

Want a private cruise? Ask. We’ll set up a tour to fit your needs.

To reserve a spot on the boat cruise for you and/or your group on your things to do in Jupiter tour, click here.

JUNO BEACH PIER

The audacity of sea turtles is amazing.

Females nesting in the Jupiter area swim for years — often against powerful currents — in a giant loop from nesting grounds in South Florida to Cape Cod and across the Atlantic Ocean to North Africa. They then find their way back to our area to nest.

They haul their huge bodies – leatherbacks can be up t0 1,500 pounds and six feet long — up the beach. Using her flippers as shovels, she digs a nest shaped like a lightbulb 2-5 feet deep. She lays 100 ping-pong ball shaped eggs. Next, she places the sand over the eggs for protection. Mission complete and exhausted, she crawls back to sea, leaving her tracks in the sand.

About three months later, the hatchlings emerge. Maybe one in a 1,000 makes it to adulthood.

It’s easy to spot a sea turtle from the pier. For information about the Juno Beach Pier, click here.

BICYCLE TOUR TO TURTLE COVE

A trip on the water not your thing?

DuBois Park is a popular spot to watch frolicking sea turtles from land.

We’ll pedal through DuBois Park and your guide will show you where sea turtles and manatees hang out. Stopping at the jetty in DuBois Park, you’ll hear, smell and feel the power of tides as the salty waves slap spray up against the rocks.

The 90-minute things to do in Jupiter tours visit Dubois Park, near the Jupiter Lighthouse and on A1A. We stop at the former site of the Celestial Railroad, the shipwreck statue and Jupiter Beach.

90 minutes too long? Too short? Do you have a special area or place  you want to explore?

Sure.  Let us know. We’ll make it your things to do in Jupiter tour happen.

To set up a things to do in Jupiter tour, click here.

Sea Turtles: Did You Know:

• LIGHTS OUT! Sea turtle nesting season is from March 1 – Nov. 1. Oceanfront property owners must position lighting so that light is not visible from the beach during this period.
• SAND & SEX: Sand temperature determines the sex of sea turtle hatchlings. Cooler sand makes males. Warmer sand makes females.
• EGGS REDUCE EROSION: Unhatched turtle eggs leave nourishment in the sand that promotes growth of dunes. Dunes stabilize the beach. That  prevents erosion.
• HOLD IT! – When at rest, sea turtles can hold their breath underwater for up to 2 hours.
• NO BALLOONS! – The plastic inflatables are banned at DuBois and other Palm Beach County parks. That’s because a deflated floating balloon looks like a jelly fish. And a favorite snack of sea turtles is — you guessed it — jellyfish.