Sea turtles hatch during season “halftime”
The first nests of the 2011 sea turtle season hatched at the Little Estero Critical Wildlife Area last week, making them the first two of 27 to hatch on Fort Myers Beach. Turtle Time volunteers found two hatchlings at the hatched nests last Wednesday, July 27, nearly three months or halfway into the season.
“We had to excavate the nests right away because there were two dead hatchlings on the surface of one of the nests that had been attacked by ghost crabs. Fire ants were also found all over both nests,” said Turtle Time Founder Eve Haverfield.
The emergency excavation resulted in 94 live hatchlings found in the first nest and 83 in the second.
“One hatchling (in the first nest) actually was trapped in the nest by monofilament that had been carelessly discarded on the beach,” said Haverfield. “We were able to rescue it and set it free in the evening.”
Even with a lagoon between the beach nests and the residential housing at the Critical Wildlife Area, lighting can still be an issue. Outdoor light shielding measures include placing non-transparent canisters like wooden boxes or air-conditioning quilted foils around outdoor lights.
Haverfield stated other outdoor light shielding measures include placing non-transparent canisters like wooden boxes or air-conditioning quilted foils around outdoor lights.
“It is absolutely imperative that people either turn off or shield their lights, close their drapes or use five watt amber LEDS,” she said. “During sea turtle nesting season (May 1- Oct. 31) no light may be visible from the beach.”
Another issue involves beach furniture, which must be removed from the beach and stored behind dune vegetation or up close to the house. Haverfield would like to remind Beach residents, renters and visitors to put away Beach furniture after usage and shield unnecessary lights.
“On Saturday, July 23, a sea turtle became entangled in beach furniture on Fort Myers Beach. Because sea turtles cannot crawl backwards they expend a tremendous amount of energy extricating themselves from barriers such as this. It is against the law (FL Law Chapter 370; ESA 1973) to disturb/trap a sea turtle. Had she crawled into the Gulf ‘wearing’ a chair, she would have drowned,” she stated.
Each sea turtle species has a specific function in the ocean.
“They provide/maintain habitat for fish, limit the amount of jelly fish (which consume fish eggs), keep coral healthy (which provide habitat for fish), etc. Ultimately, without sea turtles, the oceans would be challenged to provide food for humans,” stated Haverfield. “The issue is that little turtles have so much stacked against them and yet they have lived on this earth for more than 200 million years. Sea turtles are the cornerstones of healthy oceans. Each species has a specific function in the ocean that ultimately affects us as well. We need to do what we can on land so that as many hatchlings as possible can make it into the ocean. Once they are in the ocean, they are beyond our control. “
At that point, the survival numbers go down due to the evolutionary food chain as they fall prey to fish.
“Only 1 to 4 out of a 1,000 hatchlings are meant to survive,” said Haverfield.
In Lee County, Cayo Costa officially began the nesting season with a hatched nest on June 19. Unfortunately, the nest was depredated before a count could be made, said Haverfield.
Bonita Beach already has nine hatched nests (of 51 recorded nests) after the first one was recorded on June 24. According to the so-called Turtle Lady, that nest had 103 hatchlings out of 116 eggs make it to the Gulf.
“In order to survive, emerging hatchlings must immediately recognize their direction to the Gulf. Their ‘guiding light’ is the unobstructed view of the seaward horizon,” said Haverfield. “If any electric light is visible from their nest, they are unable to differentiate between that light source and the natural lightness of the horizon. They are unlikely to find their way to the Gulf and will die by either being crushed on roads, eaten by birds or from heat exhaustion in the daylight sun.”
As of Tuesday morning, two more nests hatched on the Beach for a total of 4 so far..