BRADENTON BEACH – The official start to sea turtle nesting season kicked off at Coquina Beach on May 1.
Named Suzi Fox Day, in tribute to the late executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, Turtle Watch volunteers handed out educational materials to raise awareness of turtle-friendly actions.
“This is the kickoff for the season, it’s a celebration for the volunteers, it’s a celebration of Suzi Fox and her legacy of educating people and also to try to get information out to people,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristin Mazzarella said. “We’re trying to educate people and we’re also trying to get property managers here to come and pick up additional outreach materials, so they have them to give out to their visitors.”
Handouts included brochures outlining turtle safety tips and PAR 20 light bulbs.
“They’re amber LED light bulbs so that we can get lights out on the beach,” Mazzarella said. “It’s really important this year because the lighting is going to be worse with the dunes gone (following last year’s hurricane flooding).”
Some tips included the following:
- Make it Dark – Turn off outside lights and close blinds to keep the Island and beach dark. If you need lights, there are options for wildlife-friendly lighting available at the FWC website: https://myfwc.com/wildlifeh…/wildlife/sea-turtle/lighting/
- Make it Flat – Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles to make it easier for turtles to navigate the beach.
- Make it Clean – If you take it to the beach, take it with you when you leave. Do not leave items on the beach overnight, including beach chairs, umbrellas and beach toys.
A nesting sea turtle is scheduled to be released on Monday, June 23 at 8 a.m. at Coquina Beach. The exact location will be announced on the Turtle Watch Facebook page that morning.
