May/June • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE A
volunteers how to look for new nests,
how to mark them with stakes and fabric,
and how to document each movement
or change they see on our beaches
regarding sea turtles.
When it comes time for the nests to
hatch, volunteers document those dates,
then return days later to excavate the
nests to check the numbers of babies
who successfully left their egg enclosure,
those who “pipped,” (never made it out
alive) and those baby turtles still left in the
nest. It is not uncommon for volunteers to
remove those hatchlings found alive and
watch over them during their trek to the
water.
Three of the most important things that
humans can do to help sea turtles thrive
are very simple: keep the lights off; keep
debris off the beach; leave them alone.
Artifi cial light is a killer of hatchlings. On
a dark beach the most light provided is
from the moon’s refl ection on the water,
but a brighter light source can encourage
hatchlings to go in an opposite direction
from the water. While each clutch of eggs
in a nest can number (on average) from
60 to 80, very few make it to the water
and reach adulthood before they are
predated. This means that the longer it
takes for a baby sea turtle to reach the
water, the more time there is for it to be
eaten by a predator, or to dehydrate.
Keeping beach furniture and toys out
overnight can also kill adult turtles, as
they can become trapped and unable
to move. Holes dug in the sand and not
fi lled in are deadly to adult sea turtles and
hatchlings alike.
Lastly, it is important to make sure your
children or pets don’t dig the nests up, or
stomp on them, prior to the hatch of the
baby turtles.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Sea turtles are given legal protection in the United
States; in the species’ territorial waters they have been
placed under the Endangered Species Act. The ESA lists the
hawksbill, leatherback, Kemp’s ridley and green sea turtles as
endangered; the loggerhead is listed as threatened and the
Kemp’s ridley is considered to be critically endangered.
Designation by the ESA makes it illegal to harm, harass or
kill any sea turtles, hatchlings or their eggs. It is also illegal
to import, sell, or transport turtles, or their products. In the
United States the National Marine Fisheries Service has
jurisdiction over sea turtles in the water, while the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission is responsible for
them on land.
In many states where sea turtles nest, state laws have been
passed to protect the species. In Florida for instance, the
Marine Turtle Protection Act was passed giving state agencies
the power to enforce regulations protecting turtles and their
habitat. These laws meet or exceed the requirements of the
ESA.
If you fi nd a dead, sick, or injured sea turtle, call
(888) 404-3922 for our local area. Please be prepared to
answer the following questions:
1. What is the exact location of the animal?
2. Is the turtle alive or dead?
3. What is the approximate size of the turtle?
4. Is the turtle marked with spray paint? (This may indicate
that the turtle has been previously documented.)
5. What is the location of the closest access point to the
turtle?
If the turtle is alive, you may be asked to stay with it until
help arrives.
Call FWC’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert Number at
(888) 404-3922. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., you may also page
the FWC directly by dialing (800) 241-4653 and entering
the ID# 274-4867. Please be sure to include your area code
when paging.
Your report protects sea turtles and helps to:
• Crack down on illegal international trade in sea turtles
and their products by enforcing laws and agreements.
• Decrease the turtle deaths caused by commercial fi shing
through enforcement of Turtle Excluder Device and gill net
regulations.
• Protect nesting beaches by establishing parks and
refuges or through regulations combined with public
education initiatives.
• Eliminate disturbances at nesting beaches by
decreasing artifi cial lighting, halting beach armoring,
regulating beach nourishment and limiting the impacts of
humans on the beach.
• Enforce national and international laws to minimize the
dumping of pollutants and solid waste into the ocean and
nearshore waters.
• Continue research and monitoring activities so that the
population can be scientifi cally observed, and conservation
efforts can be focused where they are most needed.
A hatchling making
the trek to the water.