One of the first sea turtles to nest this year on Longboat Key collided with a chair on its crawl up the beach.
“We don’t want that to happen here,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring executive director Suzi Fox said May 1, the official start of sea turtle nesting season on Anna Maria Island.
“The mama turtles will be here any day now, ready to lay their nests,” Fox added.
A record-breaking 488 sea turtle nests were documented on the island in 2017.
Fox attributes the large number of nests to increased public awareness through AMITW informational Turtle Talks, printed materials and volunteer presence on the beach.
Planning for nesting season also includes working with code enforcement officers in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach to ensure the beaches are turtle-friendly.
This means spreading the word, telling people on the beach to pick up equipment at the end of the day. Female sea turtles only come ashore to nest, so any objects in their path can distract them and lead to a failed nesting attempt — a false crawl.
“The sea turtle on Longboat Key still nested,” Fox said. “But, we have seen many a false crawl from a turtle trying to nest that bumped into beach furniture.”
In a worst-case scenario, a sea turtle can become entangled in beach chairs or canopies, which can be deadly.
Lighting also is an important issue for sea turtles.
Sea turtles — mostly loggerheads on AMI — use their instincts after nesting to follow the natural reflection of the moon and stars on the surface of the water back to the Gulf of Mexico.
The hatchlings follow the same instincts when they emerge from the 12- to 18-inch deep clutch to the sandy surface, for their trek to the water.
Bright lights close to the shoreline can distract sea turtles away from the water, increasing the likelihood of death by predation or exhaustion, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Fox said turtle watch is not asking people to turn off or remove bulbs, which could be unsafe. Rather, she is ensuring that owners and renters have FWC-approved bulbs with appropriate fixtures.
“Waterfront renters and owners should walk out to the shoreline after dark and view the property,” Fox said. “If you can see a light, please make sure it has an FWC-certified turtle-friendly bulb in it.”
Last year, Bradenton Beach enacted a fee schedule that includes fines for property left overnight on the beach and lighting violations. Holmes Beach also recently included sea turtle ordinance violations on its notice of violation form. The city also includes a compliance check as part of its vacation rental inspections.
Additionally, Anna Maria approved a first hearing April 26 for a nuisance ordinance to include holes that “create a hazard to other beach-users or wildlife.” A second hearing is scheduled for May 10, after press time for The Islander.
Fox is performing lighting inspections with code enforcement officers to ensure properties with past lighting problems are compliant this year.
Bradenton Beach code enforcement officer Gail Garneau said most properties in the city are compliant for nesting season, but some areas could still use improvements.
“Some of the businesses in the Bridge Street district still need to switch to FWC compliant bulbs,” Garneau said May 1. “We are working on getting everyone up to speed.”
Fox said people should take a two-pronged approach.
“If your lights are turtle-friendly and you pull your chairs off the beach at night, you are all set for turtle season,” Fox said. “This will protect the very first visitors to the island — the wildlife.”
For more information on nesting season, contact Fox at suzifox@gmail.com or 941-778-5638.
Visit myfwc.com/seaturtle and click on “Sea Turtles and Lights” or “Wildlife Friendly Lighting” for more information on keeping beaches safe for sea turtles.
To report sick, injured, entangled or dead sea turtles or shorebirds contact the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.
Turtle watch resumes Turtle Talk Tuesdays
Sea turtle season has begun and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring is resuming its weekly outreach program.
Along with the guidelines, come interesting facts about nesting sea turtles.
Starting May 22 and continuing through July, AMITW will host Turtle Talks at 10 a.m. Tuesdays at CrossPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.
The presentation, about 35 minutes, consists of video and photo displays, a question-and-answer session and interactive activities. Attendees will receive promotional materials, such as stickers, door hangers, temporary tattoos and flyers.
For more information, contact AMITW executive director Suzi Fox at suzilfox@gmail.com or 941-778-5638.
