The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 15 No. 42 - August 19, 2015

TURTLES

Hatchlings struggling against storms

Carol Whitmore

MICHELLE FRIEDLINE | submitted

Sea turtle hatchlings are washing up onto the beach
after making their way to the Gulf of Mexico due to storms.

Storms and waves continue to push loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings back onto Anna Maria Island’s shores shortly after they hatch and make it to the Gulf of Mexico.

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring requests that if you find a hatchling, do not put it back into the water, as it is unlikely to survive due to fatigue. Instead, place it in a container with some wet sand or on a damp towel, put a cloth partially over the top to keep it in the dark while letting it breathe, and take it to the Holmes Beach Police Department at 5801 Marina Drive for Turtle Watch to rehabilitate and release.

The beach raker for Manatee County will be avoiding the wrack line – where seaweed and other material collects at high tide – because hatchlings could still be alive there, Turtle Watch Director Suzi Fox said.

Some eggs washed out of their nests during the storms, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, including those in two of the five nests that were run over by an ATV on June 27; one had live hatchlings in it and one did not. The other three nests were inundated with water, making it likely that those turtles suffocated in their eggs. The FWC has not released the identity of a person of interest in the investigation.

Witnesses said a white man and white woman in their late 20s aimed at the staked turtle nests while riding a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with a single headlight around 10:30 p.m. near the Bradenton Beach/Holmes Beach line. They ran over five federally threatened loggerhead turtle nests and killed three black skimmer chicks, a state species of special concern.

Anyone with information is asked to contact FWC Wildlife Alert by texting or emailing Tip@MyFWC.com or calling 888-404-3922. Reports can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.

Manatee CrimeStoppers and Turtle Watch are offering a $3,500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. Contact CrimeStoppers at 866-634-8477 (TIPS), place a web tip at www.ManateeCrimeStoppers.com, or text “MCSTIPS plus the message” to 274637 (CRIMES).

Turtle Tips

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring offers free Tuesday Turtle Talks each Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. in Bradenton Beach.

No reservations are required for the program, which highlights 35 years of turtle and shorebird nesting history on Anna Maria Island.

Free souvenirs include temporary turtle tattoos and the Flippers and Feathers Activity book. Shirts and hats will be available for purchase.

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. so you can visit with the crew that monitors AMI shorelines every morning.

Turtle Tips

During sea turtle season, May 1 – Oct. 31, please follow these tips:

• Turn off lights visible from the beach and close blinds from sundown to sunrise; lights confuse nesting sea turtles and may cause them to go back to sea and drop their eggs in the water, where they won’t hatch. Light can also attract hatchlings away from the water.

• Don’t use flashlights or camera flashes on the beach at night.

• Remove all objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting and disorient hatchlings.

• Fill in the holes you dig in the sand before leaving the beach; they can trap nesting and hatching sea turtles, which cannot live long out of the water.

• Don’t use sky lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf.

• Do not trim trees and plants that shield the beach from lights.

• Never touch a sea turtle; it’s the law. If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Bird Tips

During bird nesting season, March through August, please follow these tips:

• Never touch a shorebird chick, even if it’s wandering outside a staked nesting area.

• Teach kids not to chase birds – bird parents may abandon nests if they’re disturbed.

• Don’t feed birds – it encourages them to fly at people aggressively and is not good for their health.

• If birds are screeching and flying at you, you’re too close.

• Avoid posted bird nesting areas and use designated walkways to the beach.

• Keep pets away from bird nesting areas.

• Keep the beach clean; food scraps attract predators such as raccoons and crows to the beach, and litter can entangle birds and other wildlife.

• If you see people disturbing nesting birds, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline a


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