4 minute read
Share the Shore: It’s Sea Turtle Nesting Season
If you plan to head to the beach this summer, be aware that we mere mortals are sharing the shoreline with creatures who have inhabited the earth for about 110 million years. Yes, that’s when dinosaurs roamed. Sea turtles are among the oldest creatures on earth, however they are threatened in many ways, such as coastal development, pollution and marine debris, and even by you, the beachgoer.
Through mid-August, sea turtles come ashore on Florida beaches to dig holes and lay their eggs, which average more than 100 per nest. While Pinellas County gets our fair share of nesting turtles, the contiguous beaches of Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach counties on the East Coast are the most important loggerhead nursery areas in the Western Hemisphere, attracting more than 15,000 female loggerheads each May through August.
Along Pinellas beaches, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Sea Turtle Trackers have support teams that monitor and protect sea turtle nests. Every morning during nesting season, from May through October, volunteers and aquarium staff patrol beaches ready to mark off any new nests, remove obstacles and collect data for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Sea Turtle Trackers territory is St. Pete Beach, Shell Key and Outback Key. North of St. Pete Beach, Clearwater Marine Aquarium monitors nearly 21 miles of shoreline daily. Typically, sea turtles nest until the middle of August, when hatching starts in earnest and continues through October. In the 2023 nesting season, the aquarium reported 227 nests. Last year was a banner year for sea turtle nesting, with loggerhead and green turtle nest numbers breaking all previous records. People can play a big part to ensure another successful nesting season by heeding these simple tips:
• Be aware of marked nests (look for the stakes with plastic yellow tape). It is illegal to enter the marked-off nest area.
• If you encounter a sea turtle nesting, do not touch or harass them. They generally dig holes and lay eggs in the dark of night.
• Pick up your trash and cover any holes to give hatchlings an unobstructed path to the ocean. Beach chairs should be removed daily along with toys or objects. Mounds of sand and holes can pose a major obstruction to sea turtles. Knock down sandcastles when it’s time to head home (sorry, kids!) A baby sea turtle can fall into even the smallest hole, and if they are stuck there after sunrise, they are likely to die.
If you come across a sea turtle in need of help, call Clearwater Marine Aquarium at (727) 441-1790, ext. 1.
Did you know …
• Five species of sea turtles are found in Florida’s waters and nesting on Florida’s beaches, with the Loggerhead the primary one, named for its large, block-like head. Adults weight an average of 275 pounds and have a shell length of 3 feet. The other species found here include the Green Turtle, the giant Leatherback (up to 6 feet in length and 1,500 pounds), the Kemp’s Ridley and Hawksbill.
• During a season, a single female lays three to eight nests. After a 45- to 70-day gestation period, hatchlings emerge from the nest at night and follow the moonlight reflecting off the Gulf of Mexico. Only about one in a thousand hatchlings makes it to adulthood.
• Sea turtles can become disoriented from lights and illuminated objects visible from the beach. Most importantly, bright lights disorient hatchlings by attracting them inland where they often die from dehydration or predators or are run over by motor vehicles. It is very important that occupants and managers of beachfront properties minimize the amount of light that shines onto the beach.
