From time to time, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch answers a call about a sea turtle in distress or worse.
Since January, AMITW has responded to 17 strandings, including 10 loggerheads and seven green turtles, according to executive director Kristen Mazzarella.
The Islander connected with Mazzarella the week ending Oct. 15 to talk about such strandings.
The Islander: AMITW takes on some other duties in addition to monitoring nesting and hatching on the beaches. Dealing with strandings is one such responsibility?
KM: Yes, a stranding is a dead sea turtle or a live sea turtle that is sick or in distress.
We are permitted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to respond to stranded sea turtles.
If someone sees a dead or injured sea turtle or a sea turtle in distress, they can call us at 941-301-8434 or call FWC at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) to report the stranding.
Islander: Are strandings dealt with under a different permit from nesting?
KM: Yes, we have a separate permit for stranding response that is held by AMITW, with one of our volunteers as the qualified individual.
Anyone on that permit must go through extensive training to learn to respond to strandings and how to correctly collect the important data.
The Islander: How often does AMITW get a call regarding a stranding?
KM: Stranding calls are sporadic and not something that we can predict.
The Islander: Do you respond on water or only land?
KM: We get calls about sea turtles both on land and in the water.
We do not have a boat to respond to in-water calls but we can still collect data on the turtle, even if we cannot get to it.
We also work with the FWC, other permittees in the Florida Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network and the local community to find resources that allow us to reach the animal if a rescue is necessary.
The Islander: How often do you learn the outcome of a rescue?
KM: When a live sea turtle is rescued, it is transferred to one of the rehabilitation facilities in the state.
We keep in touch with the facility about the status of the sea turtle and, best-case scenario, we get to see it released when it is healthy again.
The Islander: What are the primary reasons for a stranding?
KM: There are many reasons for strandings but the most common are boat strike, hook ingestion and entanglements.
We also get turtles that are sick from red tide toxins or have other ailments.
For dead strandings, we don’t always know the cause of death but we do conduct a thorough examination of the carcass and note any anomalies.
The data we collect provides important information regarding stranding trends.
The Islander: Anything humans can do to minimize strandings?
KM: Absolutely.
People can follow safe boating guidelines, mind slow speed zones and be alert to wildlife in the area.
Wearing polarized sunglasses allows us to better see wildlife underwater while boating.
While on a boat, stow your trash in a safe place so it doesn’t blow overboard.
When fishing, be sure to properly dispose of any discarded fishing gear.
And, if you see a dead turtle or a turtle in distress, please immediately report them to AMITW or FWC.