From June to September, Friends of the Carr Refuge invites the general public to the sands of Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge for a very memorable walk. 

 

Florida's beaches, especially along the east central coast in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, provide nesting habitat for more nesting loggerhead turtles than any place in the Western Hemisphere and more green turtles than any place in North America.

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Friends of Carr holds a special permit that enables our volunteers to take turtle walk attendees onto the beach for an up-close encounter. During the early months of the summer, we host Nighttime Turtle Walks. During these walks, attendees are able to observe nesting turtles as they lay their nests, drop their eggs and head back to the sea. 

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During our Daytime Dig Turtle Walks, attendees are able to look inside a turtle nest. Sometimes, hatchling washbacks occur (a washback is when a hatchling didn't successfully make it's voyage to the ocean) and this allows Friends of Carr the opportunity to share a hatchling release with our Daytime Dig Turtle Walk attendees. This experience isn't guaranteed on every walk, it just depends on timing and mother nature. 

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Turtle walks are held at the Barrier Island Center in Melbourne Beach, Florida.