The number of sea turtle nests on Anna Maria Island was the highest in at least 40 years.
The final number of turtle nests laid in 2024 was 685, easily surpassing 543, the record set in 2019.
What the original claim may refer to is the day the mark was broken, July 2, 2024, when 546 nests were laid.
As of May 23, 42 nests have been laid in 2025. Typically, turtle nesting season lasts from May to October, so there is time for a new benchmark to be set.
Anna Maria Island is 8.5 miles long and is located south of Tampa Bay.
Laws have been established to protect turtles on the island, such as forbidding parking on turtle habitats, artificial lighting, and littering.
Five different turtle species swim and reside around the island, but the most common is the loggerhead.
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
