Sea turtle nesting season in Hawaii is underway.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies are asking the public to be on the lookout for turtles on local beaches this nesting season, which begins in mid-April and continues through September — sometimes as late as December.

People should keep a respectful distance of at least 10 feet from sea turtles and their nests, during this time, and avoid shining bright lights near them after dusk.

Nesting occurs nocturnally, and hatchlings generally emerge at night.

Several turtle nests have already been confirmed on Oahu, according to Joy Browning, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife biologist, which is earlier than previous years.

“Two of the most important things we can do for sea turtles is give them space when they are on land and keep lights from being seen from the beach,” said Browning.

Browning said turtle hatchlings emerging from their nests can become disoriented by any artificial lights visible from the beach because they rely on moonlight and celestial light to guide them out to sea. Disoriented turtles may wander inland and become trapped, lowering their chances of survival.

In Hawaii, several species of turtles nest on beaches, including Hawaiian green turtles, or honu, Hawaiian hawksbill turtles, and olive ridley turtles.

Most honu nest on shores of the French Frigate Shoals at Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, but are known to use beaches statewide.

Hawaiian hawksbill turtles nest primarily on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Molokai.

Olive ridley nests are extremely rare, but have been found on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Oahu. In 2019, visitors discovered an olive ridley nest at Kailua Beach Park.

Honu and olive ridleys are considered threatened, while hawksbills are endangered. All are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Anyone who sees a sea turtle on the beach should refrain from touching, feeding, or chasing them, which can result in hefty fines.

Wildlife experts recommend walking behind the nests, typically near or under coastal vegetation and well above the high tide line, and maintaining a clear path from nest to ocean.

After dusk, the public can also help by not using flashlights, cell phone lights, vehicle lights, or flash photography near sea turtles or on the beaches. People should also keep their dogs leashed on beaches to avoid disturbance of sea turtles.

“While we don’t know how many turtles will actively nest along Hawaii beaches this year,” said Browning, “both state and federal agencies are gearing up to work with our community volunteers to locate and monitor sea turtle nests.”

Citizen scientists can help by reporting the location of nests, baby turtles or hatchlings found along beaches to the NOAA marine wildlife hotline at 888-256-9840.