Jekyll Island Authority launches interactive maps to track turtle activity in real time

Caption

Diamondback terrapin

Credit: National Park Service

The Jekyll Island Authority has unveiled a new online dashboard featuring two interactive maps that provide the public with real-time data on turtle activity on and near the Coastal Georgia barrier island.

One map displays precise locations where staff have spotted diamondback terrapins along the 6-mile-long Jekyll Island Causeway, marking whether each turtle was found alive, dead, or injured, while also providing daily terrapin counts and historical data dating back to 2007.

The second map tracks sea turtle nesting activity along Jekyll Island's beaches using a heat map format that shows approximate nest locations, rather than exact coordinates, to protect against potential poaching.

"This dashboard is automating the process of being able to give that data to the public in real time," said Jekyll Island Authority wildlife biologist Joseph Colbert. "Every time something is collected out in the field, it automatically updates on that dashboard."

The initiative represents a significant shift from previous tracking methods that required visitors to check displays at specific locations like the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which were updated only periodically.

Jekyll Island Authority natural resources manager Daniel Quinn said the organization has always prioritized transparency in its conservation work but previously relied on manual data entry systems accessible only to certain personnel.

"What we really wanted to do was to make it so that people could view this anytime they want, and we have that ability now," Quinn explained.

The new system also benefits Jekyll Island rangers, he said, who frequently field questions from visitors about current turtle activity but previously lacked immediate access to up-to-date numbers.

"A lot of times they don't know the exact answer, and so now they can just open it up on their smartphone and see that count immediately," Quinn said.

More than 250 diamondback terrapins have been documented along the Jekyll Island Causeway so far this year, with approximately two-thirds rescued alive, according to current dashboard data.

Jekyll Island has also recorded about 40 sea turtle nests this season, including Georgia's first sea turtle nest of 2025, with expectations for increased activity due to sea turtles' natural three-year nesting cycles.

The terrapin tracking addresses a unique conservation challenge on Jekyll Island, where these estuarine turtles — the only species in the U.S. that lives exclusively in brackish water — seek elevated nesting sites during summer months.

"There's not very much high ground around for them to nest on," Quinn said, explaining that terrapins view the causeway as an attractive nesting destination rather than simply crossing it to reach other areas.

The conservation team monitors the causeway daily during nesting season, which runs from April through July, when terrapins are most active during the two hours surrounding high tide.

Beyond satisfying public curiosity, the real-time data serves practical management purposes by informing staffing decisions and deployment strategies for conservation personnel, while also helping visitors and residents safely navigate to and from the island.

"If people know what's going on, they can accommodate the wildlife out there more appropriately," Colbert said, noting that awareness of peak activity times can encourage drivers to exercise greater caution on the causeway.

The Jekyll Island Authority operates a terrapin hotline at 912-270-8865 for visitors who spot turtles or have conservation concerns.