Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers had only two loggerhead sea turtle nests remaining Oct. 11.
So their focus has shifted from monitoring to educating and fundraising.
They had an opportunity for both Oct. 11, during the grand opening of the Anna Maria Farmers Market at City Pier Park, 101 N. Bay Blvd.
AMITW’s booth is near the front entrance to the market and the volunteers will be there every Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. through May 9, 2023.
Shirts, hats and stickers are for sale and educational materials are available for those who want to learn more about sea turtle protection.
The volunteers welcome questions as they carry on what their late director Suzi Fox strived to do for more than 30 years.
Fox died Sept. 30 in Bradenton.
Debbie Basilius, AMITW treasurer, said Oct. 12 that a meeting with AMITW volunteers will be held Oct. 22 to discuss how the team moves forward and to share information about permitting and leadership that she hopes to receive from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
FWC is working through the impacts of Hurricane Ian and as of Oct. 11 had not provided the nonprofit with details about how to move forward with the succession process.
On the beach
Through Oct. 11 there were only two nests left on the island to hatch and excavate and there have been 37,060 hatchlings through the season.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Ian created tides high enough to disturb what the volunteers believe to be hatched and unhatched eggs that were placed back into excavated nests.
Three days after a nest hatches AMITW volunteers excavate a nest to count the eggs and report the numbers to the state.
After counting they return the hatched shells and unhatched eggs into the hole to provide nourishment to the beach.
Eggshells, as well as some unhatched eggs, were found in the wrack line from the 700 block of North Shore Drive in Anna Maria to the northern end of the island.
AMITW volunteers Karen and Chuck Anderson patrolled the area when they were alerted to the finding Oct. 5 by this reporter.
No nests or drops were identified.
Esther remains in 9th place
Esther, a loggerhead sea turtle tagged and released June 20 on AMI as part of the Tour de Turtles, stayed in ninth place through Oct. 13.
The race started Aug. 1 and can be followed at tourdeturtles.org. The race ends Oct. 31.
Esther traveled 483 miles through Oct. 13.
The tour is an educational effort led by the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
The Waterline Resort and Mainsail Vacation Rentals of Holmes Beach and AMITW worked with the conservancy to make the tagging of Esther possible.
Each turtle has a cause. Esther’s is light pollution.
— Samara Paice