Record loggerhead turtle nest numbers reported

A record number of loggerhead turtle nests have been found in the Cayman Islands so far this nesting season.

By 1 Aug., which is near the end of loggerhead nesting season, 124 nests had been located on Little Cayman and 96 on Cayman Brac. These are both record numbers, and have pushed the overall number found across the three islands to an all-time high of 392 nests since monitoring of nests first began in 1998.

Tim Austin, deputy director of research and assessment at the Department of Environment, described this year as “a very successful and busy turtle nesting season”, adding that nest numbers are still being counted, so it’s possible Grand Cayman may yet surpass its loggerhead nesting record as well.