*The video above features an interview with a Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium expert from 2021.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Sea turtle nesting season has begun, and 8 On Your Side has information and tips on how to keep these animals safe this year.
Five types of sea turtles nest in Florida and all are protected by state statutes. Loggerhead, green, leatherback, Kemp’s Ridley and Hawksbill sea turtles all reside in our state.
The majority of nesting occurs between May 1 and Oct. 31, according to the Sea Turtle Conservatory, but 2021 data from Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium reported turtle nests as early as April 25.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports nesting on the east coast of the state begins in March from Brevard County to south Broward County, and on the Gulf Coast from April or May.
The loggerhead sea turtle is the most common on Tampa Bay area beaches and, according to the FWC, a total of 105,185 loggerhead sea turtle nests were found across the state in 2020.
Here’s a breakdown of nests in 2020 in the Tampa Bay area:
- Hillsborough: 4.8 km surveyed, 96 loggerhead nests
- Pinellas: 76.7 km surveyed, 377 loggerhead nests, 3 green nests
- Manatee: 19 km surveyed, 930 loggerhead nests, 1 green nest
- Sarasota: 56 km surveyed, 7,041 loggerhead nests, 227 green nests
According to the FWC, 133,493 sea turtles nests of all species were observed across the state.
In 2021, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium monitored 3,786 sea turtle nests, of both loggerhead and green sea turtles.
If you encounter any kind of sea turtle on a beach, it’s important to know not to approach them. According to the FWC, any distractions may frighten a nesting mother, causing her to return to the ocean before finishing her nest.
Lights also cause a major disruption to the nesting process. Throughout sea turtle nesting and hatchling months, beachgoers are asked by FWC to not use flashlights, flash photography or video equipment.
For those who live along the beach, the FWC says you should turn off all unnecessary lighting, such as runner lights or uplighting of vegetation, in areas that are visible from the beach.
Numerous Tampa Bay municipalities including Anna Maria Island, Clearwater, Madeira Beach, St. Pete Beach, Sarasota and Venice have adopted sea turtle lighting ordinances. Synergy Lightning Supply, LaMar Lighting, Encapsulite and Volt Lightning are a few vendors who offer FWC-approved turtle lighting.
The recent move across the country against single-use plastics affects sea turtles as well. Things like plastic straws affect marine life. Turtles will also confuse things like plastic grocery bags or deflated balloons for food like jellyfish.
Conservationists also urge beachgoers to fill in holes and knock down sandcastles as they leave the beach to aid in mother turtles’ and hatchlings’ journeys back to the ocean. All beach furniture should be removed nightly as well, as they create obstacles for turtle mothers and the animals can become entangled in things like beach chairs.
If you come across a stranded or dead turtle, a hatchling that is wandering in any direction other than the water, or if you see someone disturbing a nest or turtle, call FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement at 1-888-404-FWCC or *FWC.