First leatherback sea turtle nest of 2020 is the earliest ever documented in Florida

Published February 19, 2020 4:30pm CST

HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla. - The first leatherback sea turtle nest of this year's nesting season showed up on Florida's east coast this week.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Monday that the nest was found by a resident on Hutchinson Island South, in Martin County.

Officials said it is the earliest leatherback nest documented in Florida to date.

Leatherback turtles are the largest of all sea turtle species, according to the Loggerhead Marine Life Center.

Once it was verified as a leatherback nest, it was officially marked and photographed by ecologists, FWC said.

"With that, let the 2020 nesting season begin!" they wrote on Instagram.