Spencer Quinlivan is a 9 1/2-year-old animal lover from Pinellas County with a soft spot for sea turtles and shorebirds. He visits the Island regularly, staying in a house owned by his grandparents, and quickly became aware of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.
A few weeks ago, he decided to raise money as a school project by selling lemonade, bananas and cookies on Pinellas Trail. According to his father, Patrick Quinlivan, it was cool and windy, and not too many people needed to cool down.
“Luckily, there was a busy police station with a lot of foot traffic,” Patrick Quinlivan said. “They all came by and if they weren’t thirsty, they just donated money. He ended up with $215.22.”
The family visited the Island a couple of weeks ago and found Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox, who was impressed with Spencer. She arranged a visit to the Manatee County Marine Rescue headquarters, on Sunday, April 28, thanks to rescue chief Joe Westerman, and Spencer got a Turtle Watch ATV ride down the beach in addition to the Marine Rescue ride personnel Morgan Bakulski and A.J. Nelson gave him.
Fox took the money and applied it to AMITW’s education fund, and Spencer went home with a box of promotional and educational items.
“This is what is so right about our Manatee County,” Fox said.
Spencer said he learned a lot about sea turtles.
“I found out that the wrong lights at night are dangerous,” he said. “We have to use the right lights so the turtles don’t come to the shore instead of out to sea.”
At the start of turtle season, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox reported three turtle nests as of Sunday – one on each city’s beach.
The first nest was discovered on May 1, the first day of the turtle season, at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach with the next one on Thursday, May 2 on Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach and another nest later in the week at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria.
Fox reminds beachgoers to avoid nests, which are marked with yellow tape.
Fox has been patrolling the beaches with city code enforcement officials at night, looking for lights that might attract hatchlings away from the Gulf and onto dry land where they would likely die. When they hatch, sea turtles head for the Gulf, drawn by the light of the stars and moon. If Gulf-front buildings have lights that are visible to the turtles, they could go toward the lights and die from dehydration or be run over by cars.
It is illegal to touch a hatchling, so if you spot one in trouble, Fox said, call Turtle Watch at 941-778-5638.
Turtle Tips
During sea turtle season, May 1 – Oct. 31, 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 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 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).
Bird tips
During bird nesting season, March through August, 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 at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
BRADENTON BEACH – It’s the first week of sea turtle nesting season, and while turtles jumped the gun on Longboat Key, none have nested so far on Anna Maria Island, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox.
Turtle Watch volunteers have reported three false crawls, turtles that crawl onto the beach to nest but return to the Gulf without doing so, sometimes due to obstructions on the beach or lights.
Fox is relieved that a snowy plover finally laid a nest this spring on the Island; it contains a sole egg, she said, and is roped off to protect the threatened bird species.
Anna Maria Island cities are enforcing local ordinances protecting the two threatened turtle species that nest locally, loggerheads and green turtles.
From May 1 to Oct. 31, residents and visitors to the Island must be careful that light is not visible from their windows and doors facing the Gulf of Mexico to the west or the Intracoastal Waterway to the east.
That’s because light can make both nesting and hatching turtles lose their way to the water, leading, in some cases, to their deaths from dehydration or predators. Turtles most often nest on Gulf beaches, but occasionally nest on the bayside, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring statistics.
Code officials are conducting lighting inspections beginning this week, and Bradenton Beach Code Enforcement Officer Gail Garneau advises property owners and rental agents to be proactive in monitoring their properties for compliance during nesting season.
Visit the beach at night to see whether your lighting is visible, she suggests. Turn off or shield all lights that are visible from the beach from sunset to sunrise, or change to turtle-friendly bulbs to avoid leaving people in the dark.
Also remember to remove beach furniture and other items from the beach, or pull them back behind the front dune line, from sunset to sunrise to keep nesting sea turtles from becoming entangled, and fill in any holes dug in the sand before sunset to avoid entrapping turtles and injuring people.
Island cities must enforce turtle ordinances to continue to qualify to have the beaches renourished, according to Garneau. Turtles also are protected by state and federal laws.
A record 534 turtle nests were laid on the Island in 2018.
Literature on being turtle friendly is available online and at City Hall.
BRADENTON BEACH – The case of the Leffis lizard is solved.
Reports of an iguana at Leffis Key concerned Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, and Michael Elswick, division manager of the Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department.
Black spiny-tailed iguanas could prey on shorebirds and sea turtles. – Manatee County | Submitted
Black spiny-tailed iguanas prey on sea turtle hatchlings and bird eggs, and shorebird nesting season and sea turtle nesting season are beginning, Fox said.
The invasive species, Ctenosaura similis, is an omnivore that eats just about anything and can grow to more than 5 feet long, Elswick said.
The lizards are established in five counties to the south, including Charlotte County, where tens of thousands have been trapped and removed, he said, adding that the black spiny-tail iguana is not a threat to humans or pets.
Another lizard threat from Hillsborough County to the north is the black and white Argentine tegu lizard, also an omnivore, he said.
But the Leffis lizard appears to be a green iguana.
Birders discovered the lizard in high tree branches at Leffis Key this morning.
“We’re probably talking about an escaped pet that may persist for some time in the wild but which is ultimately not a threat,” he said, adding that green iguanas are herbivores, which eat plants.
The Leffis Key iguana appears to be of the green variety, not the more menacing black spiny-tailed iguana. – Sue Goetzinger | Submitted
The county will still try to locate and trap the iguana, because its chances for survival are slim if it is an escaped pet, he said. If it is used to being fed, it may have trouble feeding itself, and predators like snakes and ospreys are abundant at the park.
“It shouldn’t be too hard to find a home for a green iguana,” Elswick said.
Once they catch it, that is.
If you see a black spiny-tailed iguana or Argentine tegu on the Island, email the photo with date and location to Michael.Elswick@mymanatee.org.
HOLMES BEACH – Student artists in Mary Miller’s fifth grade class at Anna Maria Elementary School will soon see their artwork on signs posted on Anna Maria Island beaches to educate people about why it’s important to stay off sand dunes.
The artists were treated to a reception on Thursday, Nov. 15 at the Waterline Marina Resort, where more than 50 of their masterpieces were on display.
Signs like this soon will be installed at Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach to alert people to keep off the sand dunes. – Cindy Lane | Sun
Walking over dunes crushes native plants that hold the dunes together and erodes the dunes, which provide a barrier against storm-driven high tides, according to the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, which provided funds for the project to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.
Gulf Drive alongside Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach, where the first signs will be posted, is particularly susceptible to flooding, and is the hurricane evacuation route for Longboat Key and Bradenton Beach. Ropes and bollards protect the dunes there, but have not deterred all beachgoers from walking across them instead of using beach walkovers, Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie said.
With the theme of “Choose the right path,” the signs will illustrate why using walkovers is preferred, both for erosion control and for wildlife, like sea turtles, shorebirds and even beach mice.
The artwork will be enlarged to make about 60 18- by 24-inch signs. Signs will be available for beachfront vacation rental owners who would like to purchase them for $50 each to help educate visitors about the importance of not disturbing dunes. For more information, call Turtle Watch at 941-778-5638.
Families and friends are invited to celebrate young environmental artists from Anna Maria Elementary at a reception on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 4-5 p.m. at the Waterline Marina Resort pool, 5325 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach.
The students have drawn more than 50 masterpieces selected for best depicting the importance of saving the sand dunes on the beach for wildlife, said Suzi Fox, director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.
The artwork will be posted on informational signs at dune walkovers on Anna Maria Island, and will be printed on notecards.
Turtle Watch volunteers and Anna Maria Elementary teachers and staff will be on hand to congratulate the artists, along with Darcy Young, representing the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, which awarded the art project grant to Turtle Watch.
Loggerhead sea turtle Bortie is the winner of the People’s Choice Award in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 11th Annual Tour de Turtles race.
She placed 10th out of 13 contestants on Oct. 31, the last day of turtle season.
Bortie traveled 351 miles since the race began on Aug. 1, lingering for most of the race off Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys.
Bortie, a loggerhead sea turtle, was detained after nesting on Coquina Beach to be satellite tagged, released and tracked. – Cindy Lane | Sun
The winner, Bion, swam 1,674 miles from Cocoa Beach up to north Florida, then down to the Bahamas, stopping short of Cuba.
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 satellite tagged and released on Coquina Beach on June 19 after nesting. Her nest hatched successfully in August.
Bortie’s nest hatched successfully and was excavated by Turtle Watch volunteers Lee Zerkel and Barbra O’ Toole. – Amy L. Waterbury | Submitted
Bortie was sponsored by the Conservancy, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, Waterline Marina Resort in Holmes Beach and Bortell’s Lounge in Anna Maria, for which she is named.
She competed to raise awareness about the threat of light pollution to sea turtles.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The 2018 sea turtle season on Anna Maria Island is a record-breaking success, due to the turtles and the volunteers of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, director Suzi Fox said at the annual banquet on Saturday.
Out of a record 534 turtle nests laid, 447 nests hatched, producing a record 35,788 hatchlings, about 10,000 more than in 2017, she said. About half the turtles that climbed up on the beach this season nested.
Not all news was good, however.
Fifty nests were disoriented by lights, which confuse both nesting and hatching turtles, keeping mothers from laying nests and attracting hatchlings away from the water.
Four nests were washed into the Gulf of Mexico by Hurricane Michael.
And for the first time in the organization’s 36-year history, a dog dug into a nest and pulled out the hatchlings, a week before they were due to hatch.
Dogs are not allowed on Anna Maria Island beaches.
Coyotes also have been spotted on the beach for the first time, she said, adding that there is no evidence of them digging into nests.
With 20 new volunteers this year, Turtle Watch will not be accepting any new people in 2019, Fox said.
She cited volunteers for their special contributions: Kathy Noonan, for the Adopt-a-Nest program and office work; Scott Riggs, Linda and Pat Caldwell for nest stakes and office work; Maggie Carter, Barbara Riskey, Denise Gardner, Cindy Richmond, Bob Haynes and Lynn Brennen for giving Turtle Talks; Dave Ault “for just about everything;” Karen Norton for bird surveys and Amy Waterbury for photos.
Although all recorded nests have hatched, it’s still lights out until Oct. 31 for those that may have been overlooked.
Fox recognized coordinators with free car washes and said thanks and farewell to Mary Lechleidner and Marilyn George, who are retiring from Turtle Watch.
Turtle season officially ends on Oct. 31, but while all marked nests have been accounted for on the Island, some nests may have been laid that were not discovered and marked. Please continue to comply with turtle lighting ordinances and keep beach-facing windows dark.
HOLMES BEACH – A Paradise Realty and Vacation Rentals and Hurricane Hank’s teamed up for the inaugural Turtle Watch Wednesday fundraiser that raised more than $2,300 for Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.
Doubling as a red tide recovery promotion for the Island and its businesses, Turtle Watch Wednesday took place at Hurricane Hank’s in Holmes Beach on Wednesday, Sept 5.
Attendees who signed in received a free drink ticket from A Paradise Realty.
Hurricane Hank’s owner Brian Mathae, A Paradise Realty’s Sharon Hoatland and AMI Turtle Watch Director Suzi Fox during the fundraiser. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Hurricane Hank’s offered half-priced appetizers, and for every drink and food item purchased, Hurricane Hank’s owner Brian Mathae donated $1 to AMI Turtle Watch.
There was a 50/50 raffle, and there was a silent auction on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant. The silent auction featured items donated by Island Coffee Haus, the Swordfish Grill, Hurricane Hanks, Hurricane Liquors, Fratello’s, the Seafood Shack and others. AMI Rum donated a bottle of rum to the silent auction and also provided free samples.
At one point, Mathae stood behind the bar and addressed the crowd inside.
“A big round of applause to A Paradise for buying the first round of drinks,” he said, pointing toward A Paradise Realty owner and president Bill Alexander.
Bradenton Beach City Commissioner Ralph Cole and Swordfish Grill General Manager Bob Slicker sample the AMI Rum. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We appreciate the turn out, we appreciate everybody coming tonight and the Island’s back as we know it. We just wanted to give a little something to show our appreciation,” Alexander said.
Mathae then turned things over to AMI Turtle Watch Director Suzi Fox.
“I surveyed the nesting beaches this morning by ATV. There wasn’t a dead fish and anchovies were populating the water. We need to share that on social media. Take a picture and say, ‘Come to the Island’,” Fox said.
“I am so overjoyed and overpowered by this, you just can’t imagine,” she also said.
While standing outside, Mathae elaborated on the fundraiser and how he and his employees are coping with the red tide.
“The entire Island’s been suffering and with our staff we’ve had to cut back on some hours. Our sales have greatly impacted their gratuity and this was a great way to bring some people back out to the Island. We’re not near the beach, so we haven’t noticed any effects in the air or anything like that. We’re serving our same great food with our same great service, and it would be great if people would still support the Island,” he said.
“Turtle Watch is an important and viable charity on the Island. There’s no doubt there’s been an impact on marine life from the red tide and organizations like this, with these super volunteers, are doing everything they can to ensure the stocks of turtles are as high as they can be,” Mathae said.
While still seated inside, Alexander said, “Thanks to all these great people that support our community and that support Turtle Watch. I think we’ve made a statement tonight.”
When asked if the red tide impacted A Paradise’s rental reservations, Alexander said, “A lot of them have cancelled, but now the phones are starting to ring again.”
Fox’s follow-up
The following day Fox distributed an email that said the $2,300 raised would be used to repair the Turtle Watch ATV that was damaged while helping Manatee County conduct early morning nesting beach runs during the onset of the red tide. The ATV broke down from being overworked. Fox said the money would also help fund Turtle Watch’s public outreach and student programs.
Her email noted the 50/50 drawing raised $600 and winner Kathy Nunnally, from A Paradise, donated her winnings back to Turtle Watch.
“The warm passionate support at one point made me cry,” she wrote.
She thanked the Turtle Watch volunteers and the staffs at Hurricane Hank’s and A Paradise Realty and said Turtle Watch Wednesday would become an annual event on the first Wednesday after Labor Day.
HOLMES BEACH – As part of their ongoing efforts to offset the economic challenges created by red tide, A Paradise Realty and Vacation Rentals and Hurricane Hank’s are partnering in their efforts to bring locals and visitors out to Anna Maria Island.
A Paradise Realty and Hurricane Hank’s will host a Turtle Watch Wednesday fundraiser from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5. The fundraiser will benefit the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring organization.
“Red tide has severely affected our beloved sea life and people who rely on the tourism industry for their livelihood,” says a press release issued jointly by the two Island businesses.
“We’ve had some bookings that have canceled, but we’re keeping positive by doing these kinds of events. If people aren’t coming to the Island it affects the other businesses and their staff members too, but we can pull together and support one another as businesses on the Island. We support and encourage that and we know others are doing the same,” said A Paradise Marketing Director Sharon Hoatland.
The first 75 guests to arrive at the Turtle Watch Wednesday event will be greeted by a member of the A Paradise Realty team who will hand them a ticket for a complimentary drink. Hurricane Hank’s will offer a 50 percent discount on appetizers. For every food item and drink sold, Hurricane Hank’s will donate $1 to the Turtle Watch organization. The fundraiser efforts will include raffles.
Hurricane Hank’s is located at 5346 Gulf Dr. in Holmes Beach. For more information, call A Paradise Realty at 941-729-2381 or Hurricane Hank’s at 941-778-5788. Or visit VistaAParadise.com or HurricaneHanks.com.
Turtle Watch
On Monday, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Suzi Fox discussed the impact red tide is having on the Island’s turtle and bird populations.
“Red tide has certainly compromised the adults and the juvenile sea turtles because we’re getting one a day coming in either sick or dead, so we want to bring attention and awareness to that so people keep their eyes open for it,” Fox said.
Fox asks those who encounter a sick or dead turtle to call her office at 941-778-5638.
Fox said she and the Turtle Watch volunteers are often asked about how the red tide is impacting the baby sea turtles as leave the shore and head out to sea.
“We still have over 200 nests on the beach right now. They’re born with food in their belly and they’re not looking to eat. They’re looking to swim like crazy,” Fox said of the hatchlings initial efforts to swim to safer waters.
“So far, we’re not seeing any dead hatchlings, so it’s more important than ever for people to keep their lights off for the rest of the season so we can get these babies offshore quickly,” she said.
When asked about the shorebirds, Fox said, “We did a shorebird count Friday. The birds seem to be hanging out up at Bean Point by the thousands. It’s phenomenal to watch, but we’ve seen some that didn’t look like they feel good up there. They looked a little sluggish, so we’re working with Wildlife Inc. to get them transported up there.”
Headed by Gail and Ed Straight, Wildlife Inc. is headquartered in Bradenton Beach.
When expressing her appreciation for the upcoming “Turtle Watch Wednesday” fundraiser, Fox said, “The volunteers are so tired right now, so anytime anyone can cheer them on, especially with any kind of gathering, I think it’s going to give them the boost they need to finish out our season. A special shout out and thanks to A Paradise and Hank’s for thinking about the wildlife on the Island.”
Loggerhead sea turtle Bortie has dropped to 11th place in a field of 13 contenders in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 11th Annual Tour de Turtles.
Lingering off the Florida Keys, she has traveled 51 miles since the race began on Aug. 1.
The event is part of the organization’s research project tracking satellite-tagged turtles to determine where and how far they migrate.
Bortie was satellite tagged and released on Coquina Beach on June 19, and is sponsored by the Conservancy, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, Waterline Marina Resort in Holmes Beach and Bortell’s Lounge in Anna Maria, for which she is named.
A loggerhead sea turtle hatchling makes a running crawl for the Gulf of Mexico. - Amy L. Waterbury | Submitted
- Cindy Lane | Sun
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Loggerhead sea turtles have hit an all-time high on Anna Maria Island, laying 504 nests since May 1, when the season began, according to Suzi Fox, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring director.
The previous record was set last year, with 488 nests. The 20-year average is 222 nests.
“It’s good news,” she said.
Fox said there is no way to know how many of the hatchlings from those nests will be affected by red tide, which arrived on Friday in the Gulf of Mexico off Anna Maria Island.
Red tide already has killed fish, manatees, a whale shark and other wildlife, including turtles and birds, over the past several months in Southwest Florida.
Turtle disorientations also are an ongoing concern, Fox said, causing hatchlings and nesting mothers to become confused, sometimes leading to hatchling deaths and mothers returning to the Gulf without nesting.
Eleven nests have been disoriented so far this season, which ends on Oct. 31. The 20-year average is 18 disorientations per season.
Two nests were disoriented on the Island recently, one from lights left on at a construction site and one at a resort whose owners are now working with Turtle Watch to get their lights in compliance with the local turtle ordinance, she said.
If you see a nest hatching with the turtles crawling away from the Gulf and toward lights, call Turtle Watch at 941-778-5638.
Loggerhead sea turtle Bortie is in 7th place in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 11th Annual Tour de Turtles, which began on Aug. 1. She swam 12 miles since the race start.
Bortie was satellite tagged and released on Coquina Beach on June 19, and is sponsored by the Conservancy, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, Waterline Marina Resort in Holmes Beach and Bortell’s Lounge in Anna Maria, for which she is named.
The event is part of the organization’s ongoing research project tracking satellite-tagged turtles to determine where and how far they migrate.
It’s a trend that’s concerning state and local turtle officials – vacationers are increasingly taking the whole family out to the beach at night to check all the sea turtle nests with cell phone flashlights.
A recent viral video by the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce depicting turtle hatchlings scurrying to the Gulf of Mexico has sparked a rash of souvenir-seekers illuminating nests with cell phone flashlights, which can be deadly for turtles, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox said.
Lights from cell phones and other sources temporarily blind hatchlings trying to find the water, as well as mother turtles, which are still nesting for the next couple of weeks, and beachgoers, she said, adding that no one knows whether turtle vision is permanently impaired by artificial lights.
No one would intentionally shine an LED flashlight in a newborn infant’s eyes, the equivalent of a turtle hatchling, Fox said.
“Those few minutes going to the sea are precious to them,” Fox said, explaining that if they are disoriented by lights, they could crawl away from the water, where they can become dehydrated, be hit by cars or attacked by predators.
At a nest that hatched one night last week, a large family surrounded it, shining cell phone lights at the hatchlings. While the hatchlings made it to the Gulf, their temporary blindness could have caused them to lose their bearings and come back ashore later, she said.
“Did that nest get disoriented? We don’t know, it could have,” she said, adding that recent rains have obliterated hatchling tracks by the time Turtle Watch volunteers arrive at dawn to track them.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission paid a visit to the Island last week to check nests; sea turtles are protected by state and local laws. Loggerheads are threatened species, one step away from the endangered category.
“You have to click it on and click it off quickly,” she said. “It can’t be a constant light because hatchlings will follow it and it will disorient mothers.”
Eight nests have disoriented so far this season on the Island. Nests are expected to continue hatching through Oct. 31, the end of the turtle season, and possibly beyond.
A sixth nest was disoriented in Holmes Beach on July 17, north of 66th Street. A dozen hatchlings in poor condition were discovered, according to Turtle Watch.
HOLMES BEACH – The happiness of discovering that the first sea turtle nests of the season hatched has been spoiled – five out of six nests were disoriented by lights, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox said.
Hatchling turtles that are disoriented by lights or beach furniture can become confused and crawl away from the Gulf of Mexico, dying from dehydration, vehicle strikes and predators.
Lights from tourist accommodations, businesses, condos and residences in Holmes Beach are the probable cause of the disorientation of the five loggerhead nests, Fox said, killing as many as 375 hatchlings, based on the average nest size of 75 in 2017.
Disoriented nests hatched near the:
5600 block of Gulf Drive
5200 block of Gulf Drive
2900 block of Avenue F
3500 block of Fourth Avenue
2800 block of Gulf Drive
Since most of the hatchlings have not been found, there is no way to know the number for sure, but volunteers found no tracks leading from the five disoriented nests to the water, she said.
Volunteers estimate that 88 hatchlings made it to the Gulf from the one other hatched nest, based on a post-hatch excavation and count of eggshell fragments.
Turtles in the pool, turtles in the fountain
Turtles on the Island have set a nesting record so far this season, laying 430 nests, nine more than the 421 laid by this time last year, according to Turtle Watch statistics. However, the average number of disorientations over the last 20 years for the entire nesting season, May 1 to Oct. 31, is 18, compared with five already this season.
People have been calling Turtle Watch for days reporting hatchlings in their yards, bushes, in a resort’s fountain and even 10 floating in a pool, Fox said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was notified and instructed Turtle Watch to take the pool hatchlings to the Kukanza Family Hatchling Hospital at Mote Marine Laboratory for rehabilitation.
“We are trying to get them to eat and dive, and when they do, they can be released,” Mote spokeswoman Stacy Alexander said.
‘Grievous’ disorientations
Fox filed reports on the disorientations with the state of Florida, Manatee County and the three cities on Anna Maria Island detailing the locations of the lights that appear to have disoriented the turtles, some that previously had been reported to authorities during the 2017 nesting season.
“We want the cities and county to look at what drew them back from the Gulf,” she said.
“These are quite grievous,” Charlie Hunsicker, director of the county’s Parks and Natural Resources Department wrote in an email to Fox. “Human behavior can be changed, evolution cannot.”
Holmes Beach Code Enforcement Officer James Thomas was unavailable for comment.
Simply closing the blinds, drapes or shades on a Gulf-facing window can save turtles, Fox said.
Free window clings reminding people to close shades and turn off outside lighting that is not turtle friendly are available at the code enforcement offices at Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach city halls, and at The Anna Maria Island Sun.
Turtle- and people-friendly lighting information is available at the Turtle Watch website.
