Biologists at Gulf Islands National Seashore have found the first sea turtle nest of the season. It has been identified as belonging to a loggerhead turtle. The nesting season begins in mid-May and ends in late summer. The loggerhead is the most common species seen nesting, but Kemp’s ridley, green and occasionally leatherback sea turtles also nest within the seashore, which stretches from western Florida into Mississippi. Park staff and volunteers monitor beaches daily for nesting and hatching activity.