Nesting Season for Sea Turtles Started May 1 and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch Reminds People to Let These Moms Lay in Peace

ANNA MARIA ISLAND -- It happens every year from May 1 through October 31. While beach goers are busy loading up their chairs, coolers and umbrellas, Mother Nature signals to sea turtles to swim ashore and lay their eggs.

Suzi Fox directs the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, since 1990. In this photo she warms a cold-stunned turtle found in January 2010.

”Nesting season is here, and we now start monitoring daily the nesting beaches,“ said Suzi Fox, director for Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch. ”We’ll do daily monitoring from Anna Maria down to Longboat Key and on up the Manatee River.“

She said that even if people have lived in the area all of their life, or if they are new to town, a few basic reminders about beach etiquette can make all the difference for the turtles laying eggs along the local beaches.

”Whether people are renting or managing property along the waterfront,“ she said, ”they should walk down to the water and look back to see which one of their lights they can literally see from the beach.“

If there is an obvious light that can be seen from the water, immediately try to put a shield up so that just the ground is lit, or if the light is too bright, consider purchasing a new fixture.

”Also, whatever people have taken down to the beach for day should be brought back to the home and off the nesting beaches by night,“ Fox added. ”This is true for any obstacle, since you don’t want the sea turtles to go back to sea. They are full of eggs and they need to give birth.“

On Anna Maria Island and Bradenton Beach people cannot leave furniture on the beach overnight, according to the rules of the municipality. On Holmes Beach, you shouldn’t leave items on the beach, since all local areas on the water are nesting beaches. But the lighting is what draws the sea turtles to danger.

”I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to pick up a hatchling or a mother and try to turn them around and away from the lights that draw them to danger and away from the beach,“ she said. ”Sea turtles, when they come out of the water, are drawn towards the light. They are disoriented by the light and really need to be in the dark.“

Although, Fox said, most of the time people are just not aware of the lighting problem on nesting beaches, and it’s just a matter of educating the public.

”Last year, there was this big green sea turtle heading right towards the street because of a light,“ Fox said. ”She was severely disoriented, and I had to turn that turtle around physically towards the direction of the water. It was at least a 300 pound sea turtle that would have been hit by a car.“

Here's what you can do if you find a sea turtle in need of help.

Beach etiquette & how you can help sea turtles:

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch reminds people to turn off their lights and take their beach supplies in each night. Doing so helps to ensure turtle hatchlings have a chance at life in the sea.

• If you find a live hatchling on the shore call AMITW at (941) 778 5638.

• Minimize beachfront lighting visible from the beach.

• Do not approach an adult turtle coming out of the water to nest. You may startle her and she may return to the water without nesting.

• Do not position yourself in front of a nesting female. This action may cause her to abort her nesting attempt.

• Avoid using flashlights or flash cameras. Lights disrupt or disorient nesting turtles and emerging hatchlings.

• Watch for and avoid hatchlings emerging from a nest. They are small and easily stepped on in the dark

• Do not drive any unauthorized vehicles on the beach at night.

• To report a dead or injured sea turtles call AMITW Stranding team at (941) 778-5638 or (941) 232-1405.

As people wait and look out for oil to wash ashore from the recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Fox warns people to wait until the local groups step up and organize the rescue efforts.

”Do not do anything until they hear from our group, or from Wildlife, Inc. or from Florida Fish and Wildlife,“ she said. ”There’s very different training that people may need to go through for an oiled wildlife rescue. If the beaches end up closed, then without the proper training and the certificate, they may not be able to even step on beach.“

The best Web site to look for information is www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

On Mother’s Day, Fox will be doing the work she has grown to love and respect on the islands. She’s monitoring shorebird nesting and hoping to pull enough people off the beach to show them all the mother birds sitting on their eggs. She said it's an awesome experience to witness all of the mother birds in their nests.

”I monitor nesting shorebirds for Manatee County, too,“ she said. ”Today I am going to give a hug to every mother I can get my hands on and show them all the nesting mothers.“

Fox has directed the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, since 1990, and she said that her inspiration to turtles and shorebirds comes from her family’s volunteer efforts that she witnessed growing up. Living on Anna Maria Island naturally motivated her to care for the sea turtles and the shorebirds.

”My family always volunteered energy for something,“ Fox said. ”The first I’ve ever been a mother to is our sea turtles. Everyone needs to give back – especially today – with all the great big obstacles illuminating. We just need to embrace nature and make sure it stays in balance with people.“