A king tide is raising concern for sea turtle nests along Florida’s coastline, with conservationists monitoring beach erosion and the risk of seawater reaching eggs still buried in the sand.
The current period of unusually high tides is expected to continue through October 31, with the annual peak forecast for October 27 on Florida’s east coast, according to the South Florida Water Management District.
King tides are caused by the combined gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. Their impact can be intensified by wind, currents, rainfall and existing coastal conditions, increasing the risk of flooding and erosion on exposed beaches. ([sfwmd.gov](https://www.sfwmd.gov/news-events/news/2026-king-tide-season-forecast))
The timing is particularly significant because Florida’s sea turtle nesting season runs until the end of October. In St Johns County, preliminary figures recorded 1,484 nests by October 16, including loggerhead, green, leatherback and Kemp’s ridley turtles.
Volunteers and conservation workers are continuing to patrol nesting beaches, checking marked nests for tidal inundation, erosion and signs of hatching. Officials say members of the public should leave any exposed eggs or disturbed nests untouched and report concerns to local wildlife authorities. ([sjcfl.us](https://www.sjcfl.us/sea-turtles/))
