Flippers and Feathers

• Turn off outdoor lights visible from the beach from sundown to sunrise, and close drapes and blinds; lights can fatally disorient nesting and hatching sea turtles.
• Do not aim camera flashes or cell phone cameras at sea turtles.
• Do not use flashlights or fishing lights on the beach at night.
• Do not trim or remove trees and plants that shield the beach from lights.

Second Place

Outdoor and Recreation Reporting

2014

• Remove chairs, umbrellas, sand anchors, tents, grills, boats and all objects from the beach from sundown to sunrise, and remove anchor buoys or rafts from the water; they can keep nesting sea turtles from hatching and keep hatchlings from reaching the water.
• Fill in holes dug in the sand; they can trap nesting and hatching sea turtles.
• If you see sea turtles nesting or hatching, keep silent and still and watch from a distance. Never touch a sea turtle.
• On a boat or personal watercraft, watch for sea turtles and manatees; if you spot them, slow down and veer away.
• Stay away from staked bird nesting areas to avoid frightening the parents off the nests and leaving the eggs vulnerable to heat and predators; if birds are agitated, you are too close.
• Do not chase or herd birds; they need their energy for nesting.
• Do not feed birds; it can lead to malnourishment, illness and aggression, and scraps can attract predators.
• Dispose of fishing line, hooks, nets, six-pack holders, plastic bags and other trash; it can entangle and injure sea turtles and birds.
• Don’t release fireworks, helium balloons or sky lanterns from the beach; the debris is dangerous to sea turtles, birds and other wildlife.
• To protect sea turtle habitat, don’t use fertilizer from June 1 to Sept. 30.
• For sea turtle and bird emergencies, call Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring at 941-778-5638, or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922), #FWC or *FWC on your cell phone or text Tip@MyFWC.com.