Sea Turtle Trackers
Sea Turtle Trackers is a volunteer-staffed 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts daily sea turtle nest monitoring, stranding response, and beach conservation on St. Pete Beach, Shell Key, and Outback Key in Florida, funded entirely by memberships, adoptions, and donations under an FWC Marine Turtle Permit.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersSt. Pete Beach, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sea Turtle Trackers does
Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in St. Pete Beach, Florida (EIN 46-3922604), founded by Bruno Falkenstein in 1979 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 2013. Its core operation is daily morning beach patrol across three zones — St. Pete Beach, Shell Key, and Outback Key (5.8 km total) — during nesting season (April–October), locating, staking, screening, and inventorying sea turtle nests; conducting data collection reported to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC); and executing year-round stranding response, transporting live turtles to authorized rehabilitation facilities at Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Mote Marine Aquarium.
The organization's technology stack is deliberately low-tech and protocol-driven: morning patrols using manual track identification, nest screening with stakes and wire, and direct entry of nesting data into FWC's statewide nesting beach survey system. Volunteers also contribute beach-cleanup entries to the Ocean Conservancy's Clean Swell app. There are no proprietary software products, AI/ML systems, or patents; the deliverable is fieldwork and reporting rather than a software platform. Public-facing educational programs include school presentations, community booths, and the Clean Dark Flat awareness campaign.
Revenue is 100% donation-based and entirely volunteer-staffed (no paid employees). Streams include: (a) the tiered Tracker Backer annual membership ($20 Kemp's Ridley through $200 Leatherback VIP); (b) Adopt-A-Nest at a $150 suggested donation with plaque and certificate; (c) Name-a-Hatchling at $5/$10/$30 tiers; (d) general donations; and (e) coin-box micro-donations at partner hospitality locations (e.g., RumFish Grill). Distribution is via the organization website, mail-in checks to a St. Pete Beach PO Box, and in-person community engagement. The regulatory foundation is the FWC Marine Turtle Permit, of which Bruno Falkenstein is the authorized holder for the three patrol zones — a hard legal prerequisite for any direct turtle engagement under Florida Statute 379.2431(1).
Sea Turtle Trackers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sea Turtle Trackers
- Legal name
- Sea Turtle Trackers, Inc.
- Website
- https://seaturtletrackers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Sea Turtle Trackers is a volunteer-staffed 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts daily sea turtle nest monitoring, stranding response, and beach conservation on St. Pete Beach, Shell Key, and Outback Key in Florida, funded entirely by memberships, adoptions, and donations under an FWC Marine Turtle Permit.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sea Turtle Trackers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wildlife Conservation Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)
Keywords
Where Sea Turtle Trackers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St. Pete Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sea Turtle Trackers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Tracker Backer Membership: Annual membership program with tiered levels ($20-$200) providing benefits including auto cling, name on supporters page, newsletter, and logo coasters. Supports protection, education and rescue efforts.
- Adopt-A-Nest Program: Donors contribute $150 to adopt a nest. Receive plaque with name/message, photos of nest, and Nest Adoption Certificate with hatch date and egg count. Symbolic adoption only.
- Name-a-Hatchling Program: Donation-based program: $5 for 1, $10 for 3, $30 for 10 hatchlings. Receives certificate with hatch date and egg count information.
- General Donations: Direct donations supporting beach patrol expenses (gas, insurance, maintenance), consumable supplies, education and outreach, equipment including scientific equipment like spectrometers. 100% volunteer organization with no paid staff.
- Coin Box Collections: Drop-off donation boxes placed at partner locations like RumFish Grill for spontaneous micro-donations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Kemp's Ridley Level - $20/year for volunteers/students |
| Subscription | Annual | Hawksbill Level - $25/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Green Sea Turtle Level - $45/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Loggerhead VIP Level - $100/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Leatherback VIP Level - $200/year |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Adopt-A-Nest - $150 suggested donation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Name One Hatchling - $5 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Name Three Hatchlings - $10 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Name Ten Hatchlings - $30 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sea Turtle Trackers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sea Turtle Trackers is a volunteer-run nonprofit that monitors and protects sea turtle nests on St. Pete Beach, Shell Key, and Outback Key via daily morning patrols during nesting season, and responds year-round to stranded turtles by transporting live animals to authorized rehabilitation facilities. The organization supplements these field services with community cleanups, turtle-safe lighting and beach-practice outreach to local businesses, and educational programming for schools and the public. Operations are funded through annual Tracker Backer memberships, Adopt-A-Nest and Name-a-Hatchling donation programs, and direct donations.
Product overview
Sea Turtle Trackers is a nonprofit conservation organization offering a portfolio of volunteer-driven programs focused on sea turtle protection in the Tampa Bay area. The core service is daily beach patrol and nest monitoring during nesting season (April-October), supplemented by year-round stranding response, community education, and beach conservation efforts. The organization generates support through donation-based programs including Adopt-A-Nest and Name a Hatchling, as well as an annual Tracker Backer membership with tiered benefits. The Clean Dark Flat program serves as a public awareness campaign promoting turtle-safe beach practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sea Turtle Nest Monitoring Daily morning beach patrols during nesting season (May–October) to locate, mark, stake, screen, and protect sea turtle nests across St. Pete Beach, Shell Key, and Outback Key; volunteers distinguish nests from false crawls, conduct nest inventories post-hatching, and report data to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
- Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Response
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,300+ nests protected under watch over 40+ years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sea Turtle Trackers
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sea Turtle Trackers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Sea Turtle Trackers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Clearwater Marine AquariumcoreClearwater Marine Aquarium is the primary authorized rehabilitation facility for live stranded turtles in the area. Joe Widlansky came to Sea Turtle Trackers from CMA where he was a Sea Turtle Biologist (2005-2013) and volunteer (2002-2004). Sea Turtle Trackers transports rescued turtles to CMA for care.
- Mote Marine AquariumcoreMote Marine Aquarium serves as an authorized rehabilitation facility for live stranded sea turtles. Sea Turtle Trackers transports rescued turtles to Mote when appropriate.
- Ocean ConservancyminorVolunteers contribute to Ocean Conservancy's global database when cleaning the beach on daily patrols, recording information in the Clean Swell app.
- Suncoast Rise Above Plastics CoalitionminorSea Turtle Trackers is a member of the Suncoast Rise Above Plastics Coalition, working with other local environmental groups to reduce or eliminate dependence on single-use plastics like straws and plastic bags.
- RumFish GrillminorHost location for Sea Turtle Trackers coin box for spontaneous micro-donations. Customers can drop spare change at the restaurant's table during events.
- Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)coreFWC issues the marine turtle permit for Sea Turtle Trackers to operate in the area. Bruno Falkenstein is the authorized Marine Turtle Permit Holder under FWC guidelines. All nesting data is reported to FWC who compiles it into statewide nesting beach databases.
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreUSFWS cooperates with FWC on marine turtle permits and protection. Sea turtle activities must be authorized under Florida Statutes 379.2431(1) in cooperation with USFWS.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sea Turtle Trackers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Georgia Sea Turtle Center: Jekyll Island, Georgia sea turtle rehabilitation, research, and education center. Comparable in mission (rescue, rehab, education, nest monitoring), but operates in a different region (Georgia coast) and runs a paid-staff hospital model.
- Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center: Topsail Beach, North Carolina sea turtle hospital and conservation nonprofit. Comparable in core mission (rescue, rehabilitation, education) and volunteer-driven model, but regionally focused on North Carolina nesting beaches.
- South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts (SCUTE): South Carolina volunteer sea turtle nest monitoring nonprofit. Closely comparable volunteer-driven patrol model and FWC-equivalent (SCDNR) regulatory interface, but operating on South Carolina beaches.
- South Padre Island Sea Turtle Rescue (SPISTRS): Texas Gulf Coast sea turtle stranding, rescue, and rehabilitation nonprofit. Comparable in core mission (stranding response, education, volunteer engagement) but operates in a different region (South Texas) and integrates with Sea Turtle Inc.'s rehabilitation facility.
Direct peers
- Sea Turtle Conservancy: Florida-based nonprofit founded in 1959, the world's oldest sea turtle research and conservation group. Directly comparable as a Florida sea turtle conservation nonprofit conducting nest monitoring, beach protection, and education — though it operates at larger scale and broader geography (Cape Canaveral, Tortuguero).
- Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (STOP): Broward County, Florida sea turtle conservation nonprofit conducting daily nest monitoring, stranding response, and education. Direct comparable in scale and operational model (volunteer patrols, FWC permit, nest adoptions, public education).
- Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Juno Beach, Florida sea turtle nonprofit operating a hospital, beach monitoring program, and education center. Closely comparable mission, geography (Florida nesting beaches), and revenue model (membership, adoptions, donations), but with significantly larger paid staff and infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Major Florida marine conservation institution and partner; operates a sea turtle rehabilitation hospital and runs nest patrols in south Pinellas. Larger and more diversified (sharks, otters, visitor attractions), but overlaps in sea turtle rescue, education, and Pinellas patrol territory.
- Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Major Sarasota-based marine research institution and partner; operates sea turtle rehabilitation and beach monitoring programs. Comparable in mission and partnership role, but much larger scale with research labs, paid scientists, and a public aquarium.
Emerging players
- Turtle Survival Alliance: International turtle and tortoise conservation coalition coordinating field programs, capacity building, and conservation science. Thematically comparable as a turtle-focused conservation organization, but operating at global scale with broader taxonomic scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sea Turtle Trackers social profiles
Digital presenceSea Turtle Trackers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sea Turtle Trackers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Sea Turtle Trackers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sea Turtle Trackers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sea Turtle Trackers
What does Sea Turtle Trackers do?
Sea Turtle Trackers is a volunteer-run nonprofit that monitors and protects sea turtle nests on St. Pete Beach, Shell Key, and Outback Key via daily morning patrols during nesting season, and responds year-round to stranded turtles by transporting live animals to authorized rehabilitation facilities. The organization supplements these field services with community cleanups, turtle-safe lighting and beach-practice outreach to local businesses, and educational programming for schools and the public. Operations are funded through annual Tracker Backer memberships, Adopt-A-Nest and Name-a-Hatchling donation programs, and direct donations.
Is Sea Turtle Trackers a public or private company?
Sea Turtle Trackers is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sea Turtle Trackers founded?
Sea Turtle Trackers was founded in 1979. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Sea Turtle Trackers based?
Sea Turtle Trackers is headquartered in St. Pete Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sea Turtle Trackers make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Tracker Backer Membership is the primary driver. The others are adopt-A-Nest Program, name-a-Hatchling Program, general Donations and coin Box Collections.
Who are Sea Turtle Trackers's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts (SCUTE) and South Padre Island Sea Turtle Rescue (SPISTRS). Direct peers are Sea Turtle Conservancy, Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (STOP) and Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Broad incumbents are Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. Turtle Survival Alliance is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sea Turtle Trackers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sea Turtle Trackers.
What industry is Sea Turtle Trackers in?
Sea Turtle Trackers's product category is Wildlife Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAIAH, Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks).