Turtle nesting numbers produce both good and bad news

“It's an ongoing issue of importance.”

The turtle tracks in the sand looked funny. Not like the comma-shaped fin prints volunteer Beverly Knight usually sees. These were pointed.

'We thought they looked strange,' Knight said. 'We joked that maybe the turtles were wearing pointed high-heeled shoes.'

Turns out the prints in Highland Beach belonged to the critically endangered hawksbill species. The finding indicated the only hawksbill nest in Florida for the 2007 nesting season, which starts in March each year.

Findings like this encourage volunteers, but as far as the overview for sea turtles goes, there's both good news and bad news. Loggerheads, the most common species in the state, are declining statewide, while populations of green and leatherback species are on the rise. Read more