The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed July 11 that it is investigating an alleged disturbance of a sea turtle nest July 9 by a family in Bradenton Beach.
The investigation was prompted by witness reports that a group of adults and children dug into a marked sea turtle nest, removed hatchlings and carried them toward the Gulf.
Lisa Harrison of Plant City spoke to The Islander July 11, saying she witnessed the incident.
“We watched them. We took some photos,” Harrison said. She said at one point one of the girls in her party called authorities. “They carried some (hatchlings) out to the water … .They carried some out to knee-deep (water). Then, when it got dark, that’s when they started digging, like really digging… .It was awful.”
Harrison’s group contacted the volunteer-based Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, the FWC and Bradenton Beach police.
Police responded first to the 2200 block of Gulf Drive and, based on interviews with witnesses, decided AMITW could best assess the incident.
AMITW executive director Kristen Mazzarella said July 11 that volunteers with the nonprofit responded and determined “there was definitely digging into the nest site.”
“There was a mound of sand outside the nest site,” she said, adding that volunteers found hatchling tracks leading to the water but some hatchlings also disoriented and went toward the road.
“There were five dead (hatchlings) in the road,” Mazzarella said.
A few live hatchlings were released by AMITW.
“If you see a posted nest, that nest is posted to keep you from damaging or disrupting the turtle nest. So that’s why it’s posted like that,” Mazzarella said. “Stay out of the posted area.”
She also urged people to avoid using lights near hatchlings, which can disorientate them.
“We don’t want to find them dead in the road because someone left a porch light on or someone is out on the beach with flashlights leading them astray,” Mazzarella said.
Disturbing a sea turtle nest is a felony crime under state and federal law. It is illegal to take, possess, disturb or harass sea turtles, nests and eggs.
Violators can face penalties reaching $100,000 and up to one year in prison.
Read more about nesting on AMI in Nesting Notes, page 19.