A bench on the beach can provide a respite for weary walkers.
In the path of a sea turtle, it can mean disaster.
Beach benches can be a hazard for female sea turtles, which only leave the Gulf of Mexico to crawl ashore and lay their nests, then return to the water.
The female sea turtles are unfamiliar to the surroundings on land and objects in their path are known to detract them from nesting. They also can become entangled and struggle to return to the water.
On their morning survey May 23, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers spotted a nest laid the night before adjacent to a bench on the beach near 67th Street in Holmes Beach.
“We are lucky she still nested,” Suzi Fox, AMITW executive director, said. The turtle’s tracks indicate it nested under the bench.
In 2017, six turtles collided with benches during nesting attempts, resulting mostly in false crawls, although one nest was found under a bench.
A false crawl occurs when a nesting female comes ashore and retreats without nesting.
As of May 28, 47 sea turtle nests were laid on Anna Maria Island beaches this nesting season and 82 false crawls have been spotted.
According to Fox, benches on the beach violate multiple sea turtle ordinances that prohibit beach furniture or equipment on the beach overnight.
“That’s illegal on this beach, according to their own law,” Fox said. “They should contact the people who donated the benches and let them know they will be moved, then move them higher,” Fox said.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said May 23 that public works moved several benches in 2017 for sea turtle safety. He said he would inspect the placement of benches near 67th Street, where several are clustered at the beach access, to see if they can be moved further landward.
For more information on nesting season, contact Fox at suzifox@gmail.com or 941-778-5638.
Turtle watch presents weekly Turtle Talks
“I first became interested in turtle watch when I attended a Turtle Talk with a friend,” new AMITW volunteer Barbara Riskay said May 22. “Then, I was hooked. I learn something new each time.”
In June and July, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring is hosting educational Turtle Talks at 10 a.m. Tuesdays at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
The presentation, which lasts about 35 minutes, consists of video and photo displays, a question-and-answer session and some interactive activities. Attendees receive promotional materials, such as stickers, door hangers, temporary tattoos and flyers.
For more information, call AMITW executive director Suzi Fox at 941-778-5638.
