Sea Turtle Season Winding Down

While there are still nests hatching on the Islands, sea turtle season is nearly complete for 2013. All of Captiva's nests have hatched and we are waiting on the remaining seven nests on Sanibel. To date, there have been 479 nests laid on the Islands and 369 of those have hatched. The final totals will be available in a couple weeks after the final nests have hatched.

One of the many reasons turtle patrol is worthwhile- the sunrises!

SCCF turtle volunteer excavating a green turtle nest.

Green turtle hatchlings found during a nest excavation.

Green turtle hatchling track headed to the Gulf.

Hatch Season Update

It may finally be safe to say nesting is finished on Sanibel and Captiva. Although, the last time that thought crossed our minds another green turtle kindly came ashore and proved us wrong! It is been over two weeks since the last nest was laid and more than a month since the last loggerhead came ashore. 

Hatching is continuing in earnest, but should begin slowing in the next few weeks. To date, there have been 348 nests laid on Sanibel (327 loggerhead and 21 green turtle nests) and 130 nests laid on Captiva (128 loggerhead and 2 green turtle nests. This is the THIRD highest nesting year for the Islands and the BEST nesting year for green turtles! So far, 311 nests have hatched between Sanibel and Captiva and we're patiently monitoring the 75 nests that remain on our beaches.

This success would not be possible without the visitors and residents of the Islands practicing sea turtle friendly behaviors. For that, we’d like to say THANK YOU! Keep in mind that turtle season isn’t over, though, and keeping beachfront lighting to a minimum is essential so we can guarantee a safe nest to Gulf trip for the remaining hatchlings.

Loggerhead nest with predator exclusion screen. Look at all the hatchling tracks leaving the nest and headed straight for the Gulf!

Green turtle hatchling awaiting its nighttime release.

Loggerhead hatchling crawling to the Gulf at sunrise.

Tracks of the last green turtle nest laid on Sanibel.

The Very Lost Loggerhead

Usually when you come upon the tracks of a sea turtle you can clearly see a track leaving and entering the water. This was not the case on Wednesday July 24. We saw only one set of tracks- those leaving the water and heading to the dune. As we followed the tracks up the beach and past the area where she nested it became obvious that something was wrong. The turtle’s tracks continued beyond her nest, up a beach path and behind the dune. After a little searching, we found the exhausted loggerhead under a bush. In all, she crawled 182 feet beyond where she nested. 

The lost and exhausted loggerhead under a bush.

Adult loggerheads are large, the females often weigh 150-200 pounds, so it was apparent we needed help to move her back to the beach. We called on the help of another turtle patrol volunteer who also is a Captiva volunteer fireman. He enlisted the assistance of two of Captiva’s firemen. We carried her back to the beach to preserve what energy she had left. When placed at the high tide line the turtle quickly crawled back into the water and swam away. 

The lost loggerhead finally headed in the right direction.

 

While the exact reason for this turtle becoming disoriented is unclear, there are two likely possibilities. One is that one or more of the beachfront houses left lights on that illuminated the beach enough to confuse the turtle. Sea turtles use the brightest horizon to navigate to the water. On a dark beach with no artificial lighting that is always the water. Lighting from beachfront houses can confuse sea turtles causing them to crawl away from the water and toward the light. The second explanation is that after nesting the turtle was disturbed by people on the beach. In attempt to crawl away from them, she moved up the beach path and away from the water.

It is important to remember there are lighting ordinances on both Sanibel and Captiva that restrict beachfront light for the protection of sea turtles. Sea turtles are also protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to disturb sea turtles or alter their behavior in any way. 

Sea turtle season continues until October 31. Keep our beaches sea turtle friendly by following these guidelines:

-Shield or turn off all beachfront lights

-Avoid using flashlights on the beach

-Never take use your camera flash on the beach at night

-Fill in all holes. Sea turtles large and small can become trapped in holes.

-Remove all garbage from the beach. Garbage, especially from food & drinks, can attract predators like fire ants and raccoons.

Hatch Season Begins on the Islands

There's always a point in the summer where try as we might we can't manage to get an update written and posted. Generally, this coincides with hatch season beginning! All of our staff and volunteers are so busy keeping up with nests being laid and nests hatching it never feels like there's a moment to sit down at the computer.

Hatching has gotten off to a slow but steady start. Eight of Sanibel's nests have hatched and nine nests on Captiva have hatched. Nesting is still going strong. Sanibel has 241 loggerhead nests and 9 green turtle nests. On Captiva there are 113 loggerhead nests and 2 green turtle nests. This is the most green turtle nests the program has ever documented on the Islands! Green turtles tend to nest later into August than loggerheads, so hopefully we can expect a few more nests before the season is done.

Loggerhead hatchling tracks from the nest to the Gulf.

Loggerhead hatchlings crawling to the Gulf at sunrise.

Green turtle tracks.

Green turtle nest on Sanibel.

Nesting Update

We’ve been busy, busy, busy since the last post. We’re now up to 118 nests on Sanibel and 48 nests on Captiva. The nests fared really well through the high tides of Tropical Storm Andrea. 

High surf in front of Island Inn during TS Andrea.

Three nests washed away on Captiva and 15 were washed over by the tide. On Sanibel, we lost 14 nests and 46 nests were washed over. One of the lessons that came out of Tropical Storm Debbie last summer was to not count the nests washed over as a lost cause. Many nests, some that sat underwater for more than a day, still had eggs hatch. This leaves us really hopeful for the nests washed over briefly by Andrea. Luckily, the first green turtle to nest on the islands waited for the storm to pass! 

Sunrise after TS Andrea passed.

Captiva got the first green nest of the season last weekend. Hopefully, there will be many more that follow on both islands.

Green turtle nest on Captiva.

2013 Nesting Season Underway

We’re off to a nice, slow start to nesting this year, which is quite a contrast from last year’s busy start. The first nest was laid before the official May 1 start to the nesting season on Captiva. Since then, there have been two nests laid on Sanibel

First loggerhead turtle nest on Sanibel Island. Photo by: Julie Reed

Help keep our beaches, and all beaches with nesting sea turtles, turtle-friendly by doing the following during nesting season:

-Shield or turn off any outdoor lighting that faces the beach

-Close curtains or blinds after dark 

-Never take flash photographs of a nesting turtle

-Take all beach furniture, toys, umbrellas, etc. with you when you leave the beach

-Respect all staked nesting areas

-Honor the leash law

-Fill in any holes you dig before you leave the beach

-If you see a nesting turtle, sit quietly at a respectful distance (at least 250ft) and enjoy!

Help Sea Turtles Every Time you Drive!

Protecting sea turtles benefits Florida's beaches and ocean waters

Florida's sea turtles are the ambassadors for our oceans. Home to more than 90% of sea turtle nesting in the United States, Florida's iconic sea turtles rely on healthy coastal and marine habitats for their survival. Safeguarding Florida's sea turtles requires the long-term protection of our beaches for nesting and the preservation of reefs and sea grass beds where sea turtles forage for food and simply hang out. Many of the "hard-bottom" reef habitats extensively utilized by sea turtles have been federally designated and protected as "essential Fish Habitat," so protecting turtles also goes hand in hand with supporting healthy fisheries and Florida's angling community. Sea turtles of all ages can be found almost year-round in our lagoons and estuaries and they are an indicator of the health of these economically-vital marine areas.

Buying a Sea Turtle License Plate is one of the best ways to support Florida's sea turtles

Seventy percent of all the money raised by the sale of the Sea Turtle License Plate goes directly to fund the state's Marine Turtle Protection Program, which carries out education, research, and regulatory functions within the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission. These voluntary contributions, not general tax revenues, fund this nationally-recognized program. The remaining 30% is disbursed to the Florida-based Sea Turtle Conservancy to support the Sea Turtle Grants Program, which provides competitive funding for sea turtle research, conservation and education programs benefiting Florida's sea turtles. The Sea Turtle Grants Program has become an important funding source for local nonprofits, coastal governments, marine research programs, and aquariums working to protect turtles in Florida.

Content courtesy of: http://www.helpingseaturtles.org/

The City Dark: How Lights Can Confuse Baby Turtles

This short segment of "The City Dark" from the PBS show POV provides a great explanation of how sea turtle hatchlings navigate to the water and why beachfront lighting is a problem. There's even footage of hatchlings making their way to the water (or at least trying!)