Hatchlings are collected and released a few feet
from the shore. They will instinctively remember
that spot years later, and, if they survive, they will
return there to make a nest of their own.
It is interesting to note that sometimes hatchlings that have gone astray, or “pipped”
hatchlings (babies who only made it halfway out of the shell and had to be pulled out by
patrollers) must be released far enough away from the water’s edge – near their original
nest – in order to make the journey across land to the water. Otherwise, when they are adults
and it is time to nest, they won’t dig their holes far enough up on the shore.
A sea turtle’s survival rate depends largely on the condition of their environment. Sea
turtles play an important role in balancing the delicate ecosystem, as discussed by See Turtles,
a non-profi t organization designed to conserve and protect sea life. Hatchlings are often a
source of food for many animals. Eggs that never hatched become nutrients for the beaches
and vegetation. Without the turtles, our coral reefs would suffocate in an overabundance of
sponges, and sea grass beds would lose their importance as valuable sources of carbon.
Popped balloons, abandoned sand buckets, sunscreen bottles and discarded plastic
wrappers eventually end up in our oceans. Turtles often mistake some of these wrappers,
particularly, plastic bags, for jellyfi sh. As a result, they ingest them and they die.
The BGSTA keeps track of sea turtle deaths and provides the information to the FWC. That
information is used in many ways for research, and to raise awareness of island rescue efforts.
If they locate a sick or injured turtle, it is transported to the nearest turtle hospital. Places like
Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and the Florida Aquarium in Tampa are equipped to
care for turtles with many levels of injuries. They have treated some sea turtles who became
ill after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, turtles injured by boats, and some who have
fi bropapilloma tumors.
30 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • September/October • 2020
Each one of our island
turtle species are either
threatened or endangered,
but the BGSTA has seen
the benefi ts from having a
conservation plan. During
our last turtle nesting
season in 2019, more than
60,000 hatchlings
successfully entered the
water around Gasparilla
Island to begin their life
cycle.
If you come across a sick
or injured sea turtle, call
FWC’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert
Number at (888) 404-3922.