The Delaware Bay

Loggerheads are found foraging in the Delaware Bay during summer and fall. These estuarine waters provide important inshore habitat for juveniles and non-nesting adults. Entering the bay in late spring, the loggerheads leave these foraging areas as the water temperature cools. Thousands of loggerheads are found foraging in the Mid-Atlantic each year, making the loggerhead the most common sea turtle in the region. While the Delaware Bay provides optimum foraging grounds, it also presents obstacles for survival. Loggerhead foraging areas around the mouth of the Delaware Bay overlap with trawl and scallop fishing seasons, leading to high rates of turtle bycatch in these fisheries.