Species Spotlight: the Green Turtle

Green turtle nesting on Sanibel at sunrise. (Photo by: A.Bryant)

Meet the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). As the only vegetarian sea turtle (in adulthood), they eat mostly sea grasses and algae. While not green in color, they are named for the green color of their fat. Green turtles are the largest of the hard-shelled turtles, often reaching over three feet in length and 300-350 pounds. They have an oval-shaped shell and a head that is small in proportion to their body. Hatchlings are typically dark grayish-black with a white underside and white edges to their carapace (top shell) and flippers.

Green turtle hatchling.

Green turtles are found worldwide. The estuaries in Southwest Florida provide nursery habitat for juveniles and our beaches provide nesting habitat. While loggerhead turtle nests make up the bulk of sea turtle nesting in the area, there are several green nests laid each year. Green turtles usually begin nesting in June and continue into September. Like all sea turtles, the green is protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act. It is currently listed as endangered across its range.

Species Spotlight: the Loggerhead Turtle

Sea turtle news is always a bit slower in Southwest Florida this time of year. As we prepare for the upcoming nesting season, it’s a great time to learn a more about the sea turtle species found in Florida’s waters.  Today, meet the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). The loggerhead got its name from its large head, which supports strong jaws used to crush the whelks and conch it eats. They have a reddish brown carapace (top shell) and a pale yellow plastron (bottom shell). Loggerheads are approximately 3 feet long and typically weigh around 250 pounds. 

Rare daytime nesting loggerhead covering her nest. Photo by: A. Bryant

 

The nesting season for loggerhead turtles in Southwest Florida “officially” begins on May 1, although, some females have been known to nest in April. Nesting continues into late August or early September.  Females usually come ashore at night and lay an average of 100 leathery eggs that resemble ping-pong balls. Incubation lasts about two months. Hatchlings are two inches long and emerge at night. They crawl toward the brightest horizon, which is usually the water when there is no artificial lighting present.

Loggerhead turtles are found worldwide. The United States is the second most important nesting ground for this species. Florida is home to 90% of the loggerhead nesting in the U.S.

Loggerhead hatchling. Photo by: J. Jones

All sea turtle species are at risk of extinction. They are protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The population of loggerhead turtles that nest in Southwest Florida are listed as threatened.

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!)

2012 Nesting Season Recap

Whew…what a season! This summer, we had a near record number of nests, early nesters (our first nest was laid April 20…more than a week before the official start of the west coast nesting season),  two daytime nesters, and two tropical storms.  The Islands have not had this many nests since 2008 and before that 2000! Sanibel finished out the 2012 nesting season with 314 loggerhead nests, one green turtle nest, and 661 false crawls (all loggerhead). Captiva had a total of 117 nests and 170 false crawls, all were from loggerhead turtles.

Loggerhead hatchling headed to the Gulf. Photo by: A. Bryant

Hatch success was not nearly as good as we would have hoped after having so many nests laid, but that was due mainly to Tropical Storms Debby and Isaac. Sanibel and Captiva had 103 and 36 nests hatch, respectively, with over 9,000 hatchlings reaching the Gulf.

Just when you think nesting is over...

Female green turtle nesting on Sanibel Island, FL

Mother Nature sends you a surprise in the form of a nesting green turtle! This weekend SCCF Turtle Program volunteers and several beachgoers got quite a treat. On a routine morning beach patrol, one of our volunteers spotted a sea turtle that hadn't finished nesting. When she reported it, the permittee hurried to the beach to help keep the public a safe distance away. The permittee quickly realized it was not the typical loggerhead turtle that nests so frequently on Sanibel and Captiva, but a green turtle! Everyone on the beach was superb. They watched quietly from a distance and allowed the turtle to finish nesting without being disturbed. She finished covering and camouflaging her nest then turned and crawled to the Gulf.

Green turtle crawl