Turtles dig the dark

HOLMES BEACH – A new sign designed in part by Elaine Stroili, a graphic artist at the Anna Maria Island Sun, informs motorists approaching the Island on Manatee Avenue to keep sea turtles in the dark.

The sign was a team effort to prevent sea turtle disorientations, including Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring; Fox’s colleague, Bruce Drye, of St. Andrews Island; Cindy Richmond, a summer Island resident; and Stroili, who also obtained funds from the WAVE Foundation for the signs.

“Our goal is to remind visitors arriving later in season that sea turtle friendly lighting is in effect until Oct. 31,” Fox said, asking resort owners and rental agents to inform visitors of turtle lighting laws designed to keep lights from causing nesting sea turtles to abandon their nesting attempts and attracting hatchlings away from the water.

The effort was prompted by a tragedy last year, Fox said. Resorts began replacing their turtle-friendly lights with incandescent bulbs two months before turtle season ended last year, drawing hundreds of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings to their deaths.

One Holmes Beach resort killed even more hatchings than those that hatched in front of the business because their lights drew hatchlings from several blocks up and down the beach, she said.

Fox got approval from Holmes Beach officials to locate the sign west of the Kingfish boat ramp during turtle season, May 1-Oct. 31. The organization hopes to add another sign in Bradenton Beach.

Turtle Watch, a 33-year-old, not-for-profit group, has donated thousands of volunteer hours to turtle and bird preservation on the Island with its Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Certified State Monitoring Survey Program.

The group also funds the design and printing of free educational materials, some designed by Stroili, including posters, rack cards and temporary turtle tattoos, and distributes them to businesses. Turtle Watch also holds free Turtle Talks and nesting beach excavation tours each turtle season.

Island city governments, police departments and businesses all contribute to the effort to save the turtles, Fox said, including Ginny and Jane E's store, which displays Turtle Watch shirts and donates 100 percent of sales to the group; Beaches Realty, which makes monetary donations and has an owner who walks the beach doing nesting surveys; Mr. Bones, whose owners’ son painted the stakes used to mark the turtle nests; Rudy's, which baked cookies for Turtle Watch to give to people who volunteer with the group; J n’ J Graphics, which donated the layout design for shirt logos; and businesses, including repeat donors Island Coffee Haus, that donate funds to the popular Adopt-a-Nest program.

Turtle Tips

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring offers free Tuesday Turtle Talks each Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Annie Silver Community Center, 103 23rd St. in Bradenton Beach.

No reservations are required for the program, which highlights 35 years of turtle and shorebird nesting history on Anna Maria Island.

Free souvenirs include temporary turtle tattoos and the Flippers and Feathers Activity book. Shirts and hats will be available for purchase.

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. so you can visit with the crew that monitors AMI shorelines every morning.

Turtle Tips

During sea turtle season, May 1 – Oct. 31, please follow these tips:

• Turn off lights visible from the beach and close blinds from sundown to sunrise; lights confuse nesting sea turtles and may cause them to go back to sea and drop their eggs in the water, where they won’t hatch. Light can also attract hatchlings away from the water.

• Don’t use flashlights or camera flashes on the beach at night.

• Remove all objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting and disorient hatchlings.

• Fill in the holes you dig in the sand before leaving the beach; they can trap nesting and hatching sea turtles, which cannot live long out of the water.

• Don’t use sky lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf.

• Do not trim trees and plants that shield the beach from lights.

• Never touch a sea turtle; it’s the law. If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Bird Tips

During bird nesting season, March through August, please follow these tips:

• Never touch a shorebird chick, even if it’s wandering outside a staked nesting area.

• Teach kids not to chase birds – bird parents may abandon nests if they’re disturbed.

• Don’t feed birds – it encourages them to fly at people aggressively and is not good for their health.

• If birds are screeching and flying at you, you’re too close.

• Avoid posted bird nesting areas and use designated walkways to the beach.

• Keep pets away from bird nesting areas.

• Keep the beach clean; food scraps attract predators such as raccoons and crows to the beach, and litter can entangle birds and other wildlife.

• If you see people disturbing nesting birds, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline a

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