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Tag: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

Turtle Watch volunteers find season’s first sea turtle nest

Turtle Watch volunteers find season’s first sea turtle nest

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Featured, Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Volunteers with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring have found and marked the first loggerhead sea turtle nest of the season on the Island.

“We are excited to start the nesting season on Anna Maria Island and look forward to a productive season protecting nests and educating the public,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said in a statement.

Under a directive from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Turtle Watch volunteers began patrolling local beaches on April 15, although the official start of sea turtle nesting season is May 1.

Beginning early in the morning, volunteers monitor beaches daily for sea turtle activity.

Turtle Watch breaks down nesting data into three geographical sections. The first is from the Longboat Key Bridge north to Manatee Beach, the second is from Manatee Beach north to Bean Point, and the third covers bayside beaches.

Turtle Watch reminds residents and visitors of the following dos and don’ts:

DO:

• Shield or turn off outdoor lights that are visible on the beach and close drapes after dark;

• Remove all beach furniture and toys from the beach at night;

• Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles that may impede hatchlings on their way to the water;

• Place trash in its proper place;

• Keep your distance from posted nest sites;

• If you encounter a nesting turtle, remain quiet and observe from a distance;

• Call AMITW at 941-301-8434 or FWC at 888-404-3922 if you find a turtle (adult or hatchling) in distress; and

• Notify local law enforcement if you see anyone disturbing a turtle, hatchlings or nest site.

DO NOT:

• Use flashlights, cellphones, flash photography or fishing lamps on the beach;

• Encourage a turtle to move while nesting or pick up hatchlings that have emerged;

• Use fireworks on the beach; or

• Approach nesting turtles or emerging hatchlings, make noise, or shine lights at turtles.

For more information on ways to help protect sea turtles, visit islandturtlewatch.com.

Hurricane ends turtle season early

Hurricane ends turtle season early

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Turtle nesting season is over early this year, with Hurricane Idalia having left a large dent in nesting numbers.

“Hurricane Idalia had a major impact on our nesting season, causing the loss of 18.5% of this season’s nests,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said. “Only one of the nests remaining after the storm hatched and only four hatchlings emerged from that nest.”

Mazzarella said she was grateful that more than 80% of nests – 405 total – had already hatched before the Aug. 31 storm.

“Overall, we did very well with hatchling production this summer,” she said. “Our last nest was inventoried on Oct. 14. The final numbers are still being reviewed and compiled.”

Turtle season officially ends on Oct. 31, but with no more nests on the beach, Turtle Watch is preparing for the 2024 turtle season.

“We have removed all our equipment from the beach, cleaned it and are working on repainting stakes and restocking equipment for next season,” Mazzarella said. “We are double-checking all the data and compiling reports for the county and the state.”

She said Turtle Watch is currently working with the City of Bradenton Beach, Manatee County, and Florida Power and Light to identify problem streetlights and get them switched to turtle-friendly fixtures before next nesting season.

Known as light pollution, lighting near the shore can discourage females from nesting and cause hatchlings to become disoriented, as at least 3,270 hatchlings on the Island did this season.

“Artificial lighting on the beach discourages female sea turtles from nesting. Instead, turtles will choose a less-than-optimal nesting spot, which affects the chances of producing a successful nest,” according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. “Excess lighting from the nearshore buildings and streets draw hatchlings toward land, where they may be eaten, run over or drown in swimming pools.”

One of the primary goals of Turtle Watch is education and outreach.

“We will be updating our educational materials, working with local schools on creating new ones, and printing enough to distribute to all the local properties and businesses on AMI in March 2024,” Mazzarella said.

Turtle Watch volunteers will staff an educational booth at the City of Anna Maria Farmers Market at City Pier Park on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. through May 7, 2024.

Nesting News

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

Turtle nests laid: 405 (Record: 544 in 2019)

False crawls: 439 (Record: 831 in 2010)

Hatched nests: 305 (Record: 453 in 2022)

Hatchlings: 23,149 (Previous record: 35,850 in 2022)

Hatchling disorientations: 3,270

Adult disorientations: 11

Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

Turtle nests run over on AMI beaches

Turtle nests run over on AMI beaches

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – On a daily patrol last week, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers were shocked and saddened to find multiple turtle nests that had been trampled on and run over with vehicles.

On its Facebook page, Turtle Watch posted photos of tire tracks and footprints through multiple nests with marker stakes broken and on the ground.

Vehicles are illegal on the beaches of Anna Maria Island.

“We’d like to remind everyone that tampering with, disturbing or harassing any nest, adult or hatchling sea turtle is a federal offense punishable by a fine and/or jail time,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said.

Disturbances to nests have the potential to impact their success, she said.

“We don’t know if any of the eggs were broken,” Mazzarella said. “We’ll find that out later in the season.”

Turtle Watch volunteers spent the morning of July 11 reposting nest stakes and documenting disturbances to at least four nests in undisclosed locations in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach.

This is the second time in a week that Turtle Watch volunteers found damaged nests, although Mazzarella said the prior incidents were likely not malicious and due to carelessness.

Mazzarella said multiple issues with nests following the Fourth of July holiday included people knocking over stakes, tearing marker tape, walking across nests, digging in the sand close to nests and putting up tents in nesting areas.

Turtle nests on local beaches are clearly marked with yellow numbered stakes and pink caution tape.

Turtle nesting season runs from May through October.

“I’d like to remind people, if you see something, say something,” Mazzarella said.

Report wildlife violations to the FWC. If your information results in an arrest or citation, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. You can report four ways:

• “FWC Wildlife Alert” app (download from Google Play or Apple Store)

• Text 847411 (Tip411) with the keyword “FWC” and information about the violation

• Call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922)

• Submit a tip at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert

If you see a nesting turtle or hatchling in distress, call Turtle Watch at 941-301-8434.

Avoid disturbing sea turtles, nests

Avoid disturbing sea turtles, nests

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – It’s been a good week for sea turtles as nest numbers continue to climb, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella.

However, the group has documented several disturbances to nests on Island beaches.

“There were lots of large holes on the beach,” she said, thanking Manatee County’s beach cleaning staff for filling them in. “It’s best if people fill in their holes before they leave the beach. That way, they are not hazards to nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings at night.”

The holes also are hazards to people who walk the beach at night.

Mazzarella also reminded people to keep beaches dark at night to avoid disturbing nesting turtles.

“Lights are prohibited on the beach and can disturb turtles that may be nesting a long distance from a light source,” she said. “Several of our nesting females traveled a long distance out of their way because they were following lights instead of using the brightness of the night sky to find the ocean.”

This year, Turtle Watch is using backup stakes to find or remark nests in case a storm washes away existing stakes.

“They are placed in the dunes but sometimes in the middle of the beach,” Mazzarella said. “We urge people to avoid these stakes and leave them in place. Please call code enforcement or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission if you see someone disturbing these nests or a nesting site.”

Turtle season begins under Mazzarella’s watch

Turtle season begins under Mazzarella’s watch

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Featured, Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers begin checking the beaches this week for early sea turtle nesting activity, its new executive director, Kristen Mazzarella, takes over the watch from the late Suzi Fox.

“I envision following in Suzi’s legacy and to keep it going how it has been with the great community involvement,” Mazzarella said. “My goal is to keep the community educated, engaged and involved.”

Kristen Mazzarella will take over leadership duties at Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. – Submitted

Mazzarella has an extensive background with both turtles and shorebirds. She was a senior biologist at Mote Marine Laboratory for 15 years. She was on turtle patrol for 25 years in North and South Carolina and also worked with the Audubon Society for 15 years.

“The group of volunteers (with Turtle Watch) has been very welcoming,” she said. “Manatee County has been amazing; they clearly care a lot about the environment.”

Mazzarella said one of the Turtle Watch board members contacted her during their search for an executive director to see if she was interested in the position.

“I knew Suzi and I had worked with her on various projects,” she said. “I feel that this organization is so important because it’s a conservation program where both the community and the municipalities are very involved.”

There is a core group of 20-25 volunteers who have undergone training with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to conduct nesting beach surveys, but Mazzarella said volunteers are always needed and welcome.

During the nesting beach surveys, which run from mid-April to the end of October, volunteers patrol every day, keeping an eye on each nest until it has hatched, Mazzarella said.

“That training is done for this year, but certainly volunteers are needed to help with outreach and our adopt-a-nest program,” she said.

Fox’s legacy

Fox began as a volunteer for Turtle Watch in the 1990s. In 1996, she became the FWC’s turtle permit holder for the Island, adding nesting shorebird monitoring and protection to her duties.

She eventually took leadership of Turtle Watch as executive director and under her directorship, the organization grew.

May 1 is Suzi Fox Day in Bradenton Beach in honor of Turtle Watch’s late executive director. – Sun File Photo

“In three decades, we monitored 7,339 turtle activities, protected 4,454 nests, 301,694 turtle eggs, and watched 271,680 hatchlings depart to become a future generation of loggerheads that will return to the region as they reach maturity,” according to the Turtle Watch website.

Last season, local loggerhead sea turtles broke two records.

The number of hatched nests reached 453 in September, edging out the 2018 record of 447, and a record 35,850 hatchlings exceeded the prior record of 35,788 set in 2018.

The first official day of turtle nesting season on Anna Maria Island, May 1, will be proclaimed “Suzi Fox Day” in the city of Bradenton Beach.

At the Jan. 5 Bradenton Beach City Commission meeting, the proclamation was issued to honor Fox, who served as the organization’s executive director until her death on Sept. 30, 2022.

The proclamation states in part, “Suzi Fox led the organization and its league of volunteers for sea turtle protection to include protection for critical shorebirds.”

The proclamation credits Fox with reaching out to and educating the public about sea turtle and shorebird habitat.

“Suzi’s actions have led Anna Maria Island to expand on ecotourism opportunities and on further educating the public and future generations about our sea turtle and shorebirds habitat and the crucial role we play in ensuring their existence in the future.”

Suzi Fox honored at celebration of life

Suzi Fox honored at celebration of life

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – At the celebration of Suzi Fox’s life, local dignitaries, family and friends painted a picture of a dedicated advocate for Island turtles, a fun-loving and funny friend, and a caring mother, sister and grandmother.

Fox, longtime executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, died on Sept. 30 after a fall.

More than 150 people attended the event at the Center of Anna Maria Island on Saturday to pay tribute to Fox.

Nanci Banman, Fox’s sister, described Suzi as a force to be reckoned with.

“If you met her, it was like you’ve known her all your life,” Banman said.

Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said it was clear that Fox loved the turtles, the seabirds and the community.

“She believed strongly in what she was doing,” he said.

Turtle Watch board member Diane McCausey said Suzi would be humbled by the turnout.

“The board is working hard with the county and the FWC,” McCausey said. “Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch will continue to grow. It won’t be the same, but we will make her proud.”

Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Natural Resources Department, worked with Fox since 1992.

“The turtles that were born on this beach will return again and again,” Hunsicker said. “Think of that continuity and the role Suzi played.”

Hunsicker presented an environmental award from the Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association to Fox’s sisters, Kendra Fox and Nanci Banman, and her son, Dereck Norfleet.

“Suzi was very well known across the state of Florida,” Norfleet said, describing her as determined and fearless, and issuing a request to her friends and family: “I ask you all today when you see a beautiful sunset, have a delicious a cup of coffee, hear a good Steely Dan song, think about putting ketchup on steak (don’t do it), walk along the beach and see sea turtle tracks of nests, see something the color periwinkle, her favorite, take the path less traveled, that you think of Suzi and smile.”

Turtle Watch director Suzi Fox dies

Turtle Watch director Suzi Fox dies

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Suzi Fox, a longtime former Island resident and executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, died last week at HCA Florida Blake Hospital.

Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring for more than 30 years, died Sept. 30 at HCA Florida Blake Hospital due to complications from a recent fall. – Cindy Lane | Sun

Fox, 65, died due to complications following a fall at home on Sept. 24, according to family members, who said her death was unexpected. Her son, Dereck Norfleet, said she had been in the hospital for six days prior to her death.

Fox’s interest in the Island’s sea turtles began in 1990. She had moved with her mother and sisters from Michigan to Miami, where she was a hotel manager, then they relocated again to Anna Maria Island. Her turtle career began after she found a turtle nest at Bayfront Park.

She told The Sun in 2011 she felt she had a calling and joined the organization’s 40 volunteers.

“We didn’t go to all the training we go to today,” because so little was known about sea turtles at the time, she said on the occasion of her 20th anniversary with Turtle Watch. Most turtle eggs were dug up and relocated to hatcheries, then the hatchlings were raised for several weeks before their release into the Gulf of Mexico.

As more became known about sea turtles, some in the organization decided to try nature’s way, and leave the eggs in their nests to hatch. Fox agreed to try it for a year.

“I wasn’t certain this was going to work,” she said. “The first nest we left on the beach was at Park Avenue. We saw it hatch and I was so excited.”

In 1996, Fox became the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s turtle permit holder for the Island, adding nesting shorebird monitoring and protection to her duties.

Under her directorship, the organization grew. According to the AMITW website: “For 30+ years Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch (AMITW) has coordinated conservation efforts for 12 miles of Manatee County shoreline. In three decades, we monitored 7,339 turtle activities, protected 4,454 nests, 301,694 turtle eggs, and watched 271,680 hatchlings depart to become a future generation of loggerheads that will return to the region as they reach maturity – in about 30 years.”

Turtle Watch director Suzi Fox dies
Suzi Fox and her late partner, Skip, patrol Anna Maria Island’s beaches for signs of sea turtle nesting. – Cindy Lane | Sun

Sea turtles broke both nesting and hatchling records this year on the Island.

In an email to The Sun from Charlie Hunsicker, director of the Manatee County Natural Resources Department, he wrote, “Words cannot explain the complications of life and fleeting moments mixed with joy of recovery and tragic endings. She will live on each and every time we remember her smile, her passion, and her good works for all the creatures that relied upon her for their very existence on the Island.”

Fox moved from the Island to West Bradenton a few months ago.

She is survived by her son Dereck, his wife Katherine, and their two children, Elizabeth and Ashley. She is also survived by her sister, Nanci Banman and her husband Gene, and her sister, Kendra Fox.

The family said that a memorial service will be planned for later this year at the beach.

Donations in Fox’s memory may be made to Turtle Watch online.

Turtle hatchlings break record on AMI

Turtle hatchlings break record on AMI

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Featured, Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Sea turtle hatchlings have broken the Anna Maria Island record set by the 2018 crop of local loggerheads, with 35,850 hatchlings so far this year.

The number, recorded last weekend by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, exceeds the previous record of 35,788 hatchlings that made it to the Gulf of Mexico from the Island’s beaches in 2018, and there are more to come.

“It will continue to grow as there are nests to still hatch,” Turtle Watch volunteer Barbara Riskay said.

Turtle Watch breaks down nesting data into three geographical sections. The first, from the Longboat Key Bridge north to Manatee Beach, has had 17,167 hatchlings so far this year. The second, from Manatee Beach north to Bean Point, has had 17,805 hatchlings so far. The third, covering bayside beaches, has had 878 hatchlings so far this year.

The last time turtles set a record on AMI was in 2019, when turtle moms laid a record number of nests – 544. This year’s nesting tally is approaching that record, at 531 nests.

Turtle Watch also counts nests that were not laid, known as false crawls, identified by tracks left by nesting mothers that did not dig nests.

Sea turtle nesting season ends on Oct. 31.

Sea turtle nests are hatching

Sea turtle nests are hatching

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Plenty of little flipper tracks are on the beach and lots more are on the way as the first loggerhead sea turtle nests of the season begin to hatch.

At least 21 nests have hatched this month, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring (AMITW) volunteers.

“After a nest hatches, we must wait for three days and then we excavate to collect data, which is sent to FWC (the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission),” AMITW’s Barbara Riskay said. “The first nest excavated on July 10 resulted in 74 hatched eggs.”

As of July 16, 10 nests have been excavated, showing that 809 hatchlings have made it to the Gulf of Mexico, she said. While this is a substantial number, it is necessary for female turtles to lay plenty of eggs because only about one in 1,000 turtle hatchlings will make it to adulthood. 

While more than 1,050 nests have been laid on the Island so far this season, turtle season continues until Oct. 31, so there will be thousands more hatchlings to come.

The most common turtle to nest on the Island is the loggerhead. Named for its massive, block-like head, the loggerhead is Florida’s most common sea turtle. Adults weigh 275 pounds on average with a shell about a yard long. The shell, ruddy brown on top and creamy yellow underneath, is very broad near the head and tapers toward the tail. Each of the turtle’s flippers has two claws.

According to the FWC, the main threat that loggerhead turtles face is accidental capture in shrimp and fishing nets such as longlines, which can entangle or snag sea turtles, and finfish trawls, beach seines, drift and gill nets. When captured in these nets, the turtles cannot escape and eventually drown.

The development of nesting beaches is also a threat to sea turtles, as their nests can be destroyed, and available nesting sites are limited. Beach armoring, such as building seawalls, is a threat, as the structures prevent the natural maintenance of beaches and sand dunes.

Coastal development also increases artificial lighting which can be detrimental to hatchlings, causing them to migrate toward the artificial light instead of the natural light they use to find the ocean.

Increased predation on nests from raccoons is also a significant threat to nesting sea turtles.

Other threats include exploitation for meat and eggs in some countries, habitat degradation from contaminants and pollutants and boat strikes.

Turtle rainbow

Turtle season ends with good results

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The 2021 sea turtle nesting season is over on the Island, with the final known nest hatching Thursday, Oct. 14, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring statistician Pete Gross.

In every category, the numbers were better this year than the 20-year average from 2001 through 2020, but the turtles did not beat their all-time high numbers in any category.

Given the Piney Point wastewater discharge in Tampa Bay in April and the resulting – and lingering – red tide, turtle moms did well to beat their 20-year nesting average of 259 nests with a total of 422 this season. They fell short of their 2019 record of 544 nests, however.

The moms made 555 false crawls – or nest attempts – this year, more than the 20-year average of 285, but fewer than the highest count of 568 in 2019.

Turtle hatchlings barely beat their 20-year average of 206 hatched nests with a total of 226 hatched nests this year; their record was 447 in 2018.

The number of hatchlings this year also was higher than the 20-year average of 13,543 baby turtles, with 15,725 making their way to the Gulf in 2021. Their record: 35,788 hatchlings in 2018.

People did well too, with 34 nest disorientations caused by lights, fewer than the 20-year average of 58. Ideally, people would turn off beach-facing lights and keep flashlights and mobile phone lights off the beach during turtle season, from May 1 to Oct. 31.

Related coverage

 

Nesting News

Turtle Watch Wednesday a big success

Turtle Watch Wednesday raises funds, spirits

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

HOLMES BEACH – After a year off due to COVID-19, the community flocked to the Third Annual Turtle Watch Wednesday fundraising event on Sept. 29 at Hurricane Hanks to show their support for Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring’s mission.

The not-for-profit group monitors sea turtle and shorebird nesting on AMI, keeping tabs on population trends.

“We collect scientific data for the scientists in the state of Florida to analyze and see how we’re doing with the turtles,” Director Suzi Fox said. “We do a lot, but in essence, we are data collectors.”

The event has been held at Hurricane Hanks since its inception in 2018, but was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first year, they raised $3,000, with a large increase to $13,000 in 2019 and a grand total of $16,000 at last week’s event. Money was raised from a silent auction of more than 80 items donated by local artists and businesses as well as T-shirt sales, a 50-50 raffle, a $1 donation from each food and beverage sale at Hurricane Hanks during the event and a live auction hosted by Bob Slicker that raised thousands of additional dollars. 

- Jason Schaffer | Sun
Turtle Watch Wednesday attendees shop silent auction items. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

“This year we came up with a VIP package. It’s a $75 donation, but it’s a 100% donation to Turtle Watch; just another way to add to the fundraising,” said Brian Mathae, owner of Hurricane Hanks. “This organization and the turtles need all the money they can get. This is truly an Anna Maria Island community event. It’s small businesses supporting it by donating all these prizes and the community coming out that makes it successful.” 

Proceeds from the Turtle Watch Wednesday event will help purchase a much-needed ATV to help the volunteers move around the beach more efficiently. 

The event was well-orchestrated with free parking provided by nearby Hancock Whitney Bank, food and drinks thanks to Hurricane Hanks and great live music by Mike Sales.

Sponsors included A Paradise Realty, Mike Sales Entertainment, J n’J Graphics, Florida Underwater Sports, CabanUp, Harbor Lane Court Vacation Rentals and The Anna Maria Island Sun.

Related coverage

 

Nesting News

Have fun, help turtles at Hanks

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Entertainment, Events.

HOLMES BEACH – Come to Hurricane Hanks on Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 4-6 p.m. for good food, live local music and live and silent auctions to help raise money for sea turtles and shorebirds.

The Third Annual Turtle Watch Wednesday is a fundraiser for Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, whose volunteers protect sea turtles and shorebirds on Anna Maria Island beaches.

Loggerhead sea turtles, a threatened species, and green sea turtles, an endangered species, both nest on Island beaches, as do least terns, a threatened shorebird species.

The indoor-outdoor event will provide plenty of room for safe social distancing with an outside bar, and newly-designed Turtle Watch masks will be available free to everyone who attends.

Limited VIP seats will be available inside Hank’s to follow COVID-19 precautions, and will include a T-shirt, swag bag, free drink specials and more for $75; call 941-778-5788 for reservations.

Appetizer specials will be served during the event, with $1 donated to Turtle Watch by Hanks for every food item or drink sold. The first 75 people to attend will receive a complimentary first beer or wine courtesy of A Paradise Realty and Vacation Rentals.

Volunteer auctioneer Bob Slicker will emcee silent and live auctions, and a 50-50 donation raffle also will be up for grabs. New Turtle Watch T-shirts will be available for a $20 donation.

Local music legend Mike Sales will provide the entertainment and has a special surprise for attendees, who will be the first to… well, you have to attend to find out!

Ample parking will be available this year courtesy of Hancock Whitney Bank next door.

The first annual event in 2018 raised $3,000, with the total increasing to $13,000 in 2019. The event was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Sponsors are A Paradise Realty, Mike Sales Entertainment, J n’J Graphics, Florida Underwater Sports, CabanUp, Harbor Lane Court Vacation Rentals and The Anna Maria Island Sun.

Related coverage

Nesting News

Good news: Least terns nesting on AMI

Good news: Least terns nesting on AMI

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Birds, Featured, Outdoors.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – It’s been a long time, longer than Suzi Fox can remember, since least terns nested on the Island’s Gulf beaches.

Reel Time: For the Birds
A threatened least tern stands over its egg. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

“I’m very excited,” said Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, describing 26 terns that have paired off and laid eggs in nests on the sand beach in an undisclosed, staked-off location.

The bird species is threatened and protected by state and federal law.

Good news: Least terns nesting on AMI
A least tern tries to impress a prospective mate with a fish. The threatened species is nesting on AMI for the first time in recent memory. – Cindy Lane | Sun

A least tern nesting colony was unsuccessful in 2013 across from Bradenton Beach City Hall, she said, recalling that the last successful nesting colony was 15 or 16 years ago at Bean Point.

Since then, a few pairs have sporadically nested on AMI, only to have their nests destroyed by cats, dogs and wild predators such as raccoons.

When the chicks hatch, they will be able to hide under palettes that will be placed in their nesting area to keep them safer from bird predators, including the ubiquitous osprey, she said.

Good news: Least terns nesting on AMI
Least tern chicks hide under palettes placed in their nesting areas to keep them safe from winged predators. – Cindy Lane | Sun

People can also cause nests to fail. Some nests are abandoned when beachgoers, often children, chase birds, exposing the eggs to the heat and predators.

Parent birds need to rest and conserve energy to find food, even if they are not sitting on a nest, Fox said.

“If everyone could just go the extra mile and help us get these eggs off to a good start,” she said, asking beachgoers to steer clear of birds on the beach, especially if they’re screeching or are in posted nesting areas, and keep pets off the beach, which is the law in Manatee County.

Fox credits the larger nesting area created by the beach renourishment that was completed this spring for attracting the birds.

“It’s great news,” Fox said, “for a change.”

Turtle trackers predict Bortie’s return

Turtle trackers predict Bortie’s return

Written by Cindy Lane on . Posted in Featured, Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Just in time for the May 1 start of sea turtle nesting season off AMI, Bortie may be coming home to nest.

The female loggerhead sea turtle was satellite-tagged and released from Coquina Beach in June 2018 after she nested; her nest successfully hatched two months later.

Turtle trackers predict Bortie’s return
Bortie was satellite-tagged and released from Coquina Beach in June 2018 and may be headed back this way to nest. – Cindy Lane | Sun

Bortie competed in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 11th Annual Tour de Turtles, placing 10th out of 13 contestants at the end of the race on Oct. 31, the last day of the 2018 turtle nesting season.

She traveled 351 miles during the race, lingering off Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys, while the winner, Bion, was busy swimming 1,674 miles from Cocoa Beach up to north Florida, then down to the Bahamas. Since her release three years ago, Bortie has logged 3,836 miles, according to the Conservancy.

The annual event is part of the Conservancy’s research project tracking satellite-tagged turtles to determine where and how far they migrate.

Bortie was named for Bortell’s, an Anna Maria restaurant and bar under renovation, and one of her several sponsors.

Another sponsor was Anna Maria Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, and Director Suzi Fox was happy to hear the news.

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, lanterns 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 can disorient hatchlings.

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

– Don’t use wish 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).

 

“These tags are important. I know they’re expensive, but the information that you get from them is priceless,” she said.

“I’m a little nervous because of the Piney Point discharge,” Fox said, referring to the 215 million gallon emergency discharge of wastewater from one of the closed phosphate plant’s gyp stacks this month. “I hope she stays south of that. These poor nesting mothers have enough to worry about.”

Gearing up for turtle season

Local boat captains are reporting loggerhead sightings off the northern tip of Anna Maria Island, a sure sign nesting season is about to commence, Fox said.

“They’re out there,” she said. “They’re probably waiting for the sand to get a little bit warmer.”

Last year was a good turtle nesting year on Anna Maria Island, with 349 nests laid (the record is 544 in 2019) and 20,237 hatchlings hatched (the record is 35,788 in 2018).

The coronavirus pandemic has curtailed the triple-digit Turtle Watch volunteer ranks down to 16 people, who now monitor beaches on ATVs instead of on foot to promote social distancing, she said, adding that Turtle Talks and public nest excavations will be canceled again this season due to COVID-19.

“We’re waiting until next year when more people are vaccinated,” she said.

Masks with a turtle design are available at Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce and will be included in gift packages for people participating in the organization’s Adopt-a-Nest program. Visit Turtle Watch for more information.