The first loggerhead hatchlings of the 2023 nesting season on Anna Maria Island emerged overnight June 29-30.
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring reported the milestone. As of July 3, AMITW did not report how many hatchlings emerged from the nest.
Volunteers with AMITW came across the hatched nest during their morning patrol on the bayside of the island.
Meanwhile, AMITW said, the first nest laid in the season — documented April 18 on the shore in Holmes Beach — did not hatch as expected.
“We were pleased that we had our first hatch today, the first of more than 250 current nests that will hatch on AMI beaches,” AMITW executive director Kristen Mazzarella said in a June 30 news release. “With hatching now underway, there are important reminders for residents and visitors. Most importantly is to make sure that lights are in compliance with local ordinances. Sea turtle hatchlings cue to the bright horizon of the night sky but can be drawn away from reaching the Gulf by artificial lights visible from the beach.”
Mazzarella also said, “Our volunteers have been working long, arduous hours on the beach documenting and marking the nests currently in place. We want to see that hard work rewarded with good hatches and lots of hatchlings making it to the water.”