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Tag: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch

Krysta released for Tour de Turtles

Written by Ernie Vanderwalt on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

BRADENTON BEACH – A loggerhead sea turtle named Krysta slipped into the Gulf at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach on Monday morning, June 29, as researchers, volunteers and onlookers gathered at the waterline to watch her go. 

The 8 a.m. release was part of the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 18th annual Tour de Turtles – a marathon “race” that actually serves as a satellite tracking program. The Tour de Turtles officially begins on Aug. 1 and it ends on Oct. 31. From now through the end of the race, Krysta’s travels will be monitored as she migrates through the Gulf, with her position updated daily, or near-daily, at tourdeturtles.org. 

Spectators gathered along Coquina Beach shoreline to watch the Tour de Turtles release. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

As is the case each year, the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring organization partnered with the Gainesville-based Sea Turtle Conservancy in the turtle release event sponsored for the third consecutive year by Hurricane Hanks restaurant in Holmes Beach. 

After being captured earlier that morning, Krysta was fitted with a satellite transmitter. Her shell was cleaned of algae and barnacles, lightly sanded and wiped with rubbing alcohol. The transmitter was secured near the front of the shell using epoxy putty and fiberglass.

A Sea Turtle Conservancy researcher secured the satellite transmitter to Krysta’s shell ahead of her release. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

“We take great care to make this as minimally invasive as possible,” Sea Turtle Conservancy Research Biologist Daniel Evans said a few days before the release. “Everything is designed to minimize drag and resist damage, and the total weight has to stay under 5% of the turtle’s body weight.”

Sea Turtle Conservancy and AMI Turtle Watch team members gathered around Krysta’s transport crate ahead of Monday’s release. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

The transmitter’s battery life typically exceeds a year, though biofouling, antenna damage or premature detachment can shorten its lifespan. More advanced transmitters log dive profiles, water temperature and GPS coordinates, in addition to location.

The attached transmitter is designed to be temporary. As turtles grow, they naturally shed the outer layers of their shells and the transmitter eventually releases without intervention. 

“This approach balances data collection with turtle safety,” Evans said. “The tag is designed to come off on its own, usually within six to 12 months, as the turtle sheds her outer scutes naturally.”

Krysta awaited her Monday morning release. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

Evans said the release offers something rare for the public: “It’s a great opportunity for the public to come out and see a wild sea turtle during the day, and to find out where she’s going to go and where they spend their time when they’re not nesting here on the Island.”

Krysta was named in memory of a former Hurricane Hanks employee who died in a traffic accident last year. Her mother, Robin, still works at the restaurant and she helped open the crate Monday morning to release the turtle bearing her daughter’s name. 

Hurricane Hanks owner Brian Mathae said naming a mother turtle that had just laid her eggs after Krysta “just seemed like the right connection.” Mathae paused and then added: “A mother’s love lives on.”

Spectators lined the Coquina Beach shoreline before Monday’s sea turtle release. – Ernie Vanderwalt | Sun

The Sun will provide weekly updates on Krysta’s location and travels between now and the end of the race in October. 

Ernie Vanderwalt’s video of Monday’s release can be viewed here.

Related coverage: Sea turtle to be released and tracked during Tour de Turtles

Learn about sea turtles at weekly Turtle Talks

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Lectures.

HOLMES BEACH – Sea turtle hatchlings face an uphill battle to reach adulthood with obstacles including disorientation caused by artificial lights, becoming trapped in holes in the sand, predators and ingested litter. 

The Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring organization is offering weekly seminars to educate the public about sea turtle nesting in hopes of increasing the turtles’ chances for success – not only for the tiny hatchlings, but for their nesting mothers too. 

Turtle Talks are held each Monday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive. They are free and open to the public. 

A video shown during the May 11 Turtle Talk explained the nesting process. – Leslie Lake | Sun

“What we hope to do today is to provide you with some fun facts and some interesting information about our sea turtles and our shorebirds and to increase awareness of the threats that they face,” Turtle Watch volunteer Peggy Welch said during the May 11 presentation. 

The primary sea turtles that nest on Anna Maria Island are loggerheads, which at adulthood weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. They nest between April and August and their hatchlings appear from July to October.

“Sea turtles have been around for 110 million years. They outlived the dinosaurs,” Welch said. “Now they’re facing threats. There are threats in the water with boat strikes and marine debris. On land, there’s habitat loss from storms. There are obstacles on the beaches, holes in sand, predators and artificial lighting.”

Welch said trash is a huge problem. 

“They will eat anything that looks like it could be food source. Plastic bags floating look like jellyfish and they eat jellyfish,” she said. 

She described the nesting process, which typically happens at night. 

“The moms want it dark and quiet. It cuts down on predators and it’s also cooler at night,” she said.

Welch said it may take a sea turtle between one and a half to three hours to nest and deposit an average of 100 eggs.

“It’s only the females that come out of the water. When she’s finished, she’ll go back to the water,” Welch said, noting the mother turtle carries an additional 200 eggs and will come up and nest every two weeks or so during nesting season.

“She won’t come back to nest again for another 2-3 years. It’s a huge process for her. Turtles we get this year are not the ones from last year,” Welch said.

Andrea Cramer also spoke during the May 11 Turtle Talk. – Leslie Lake | Sun

Turtle Watch volunteers are on the beaches 30 minutes before the sun rises, looking for turtle crawls and nests. The nests are marked and documented.

“Turtle tracks tell us a lot,” Welch said. “We don’t like to see tracks that show us turtles have been disoriented and go back to the water before nesting. We call that a false crawl. That could be caused by lights, noise or animals.”

She said nesting sea turtles and hatchlings are very sensitive to bright light.

“They’re looking for the reflection of the moon and the stars on the water – that should be the brightest horizon,” Welch said. “When there’s bright lights in the background that can disorient them. They’re not as sensitive to that orange-red part of the spectrum, so we hope businesses and homeowners use turtle-friendly amber lighting.”

Related coverage: First loggerhead sea turtle nest of season found

Season’s first shorebird nest discovered

Season’s first shorebird nest discovered

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Birds, Featured, Outdoors.

BRADENTON BEACH – The first shorebird nests this year on Anna Maria Island have been spotted and marked by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers.

A colony of least terns began nesting the week of May 6 at an undisclosed location in Bradenton Beach. A state-designated threatened species, least terns last nested on Anna Maria Island in 2021.

As of May 9, there were four nests and 10 individual birds, according to Turtle Watch volunteer Kathy Doddridge. When she first came across the nesting birds, there were only two nests.

Once eggs were located, volunteers marked off the area to protect the nests from human and vehicle interaction.

Season’s first shorebird nest discovered
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers have marked off a least tern nesting site in Bradenton Beach. – Submitted | Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

According to Turtle Watch, previous colonies failed due to the presence of cats and crows, both predators of least terns. Keeping cats indoors and covering garbage to keep away crows are important for keeping the birds safe.

Least tern eggs take about 21 days to hatch. Chicks will then look for places to hide so chick huts have been placed within the perimeter of the marked area to provide shelter and shade. Least terns fly 19-20 days after hatching.

Least terns are protected by both state and federal laws.

Turtle Watch asks beachgoers to abide by the following:

• Keep your distance. If birds become agitated or leave their nests, you are too close. A general rule is to stay at least 300 feet away from a nest.

• Respect posted areas. Avoid posted nesting and resting areas and use designated walkways.

• Teach children to refrain from intentionally forcing birds to fly. When birds are chased or disturbed, they use energy they need to reserve for nesting and migration.

• Pets are not allowed on AMI beaches. Keep dogs and cats off the beach, as even their scent can frighten birds off nests.

• Keep the beach clean and do not feed wildlife. Food scraps attract predators such as raccoons and crows to the beaches. Litter on beaches can entangle birds.

Sea turtle nesting season begins

Sea turtle nesting season begins

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

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The traditional May 1 start of the sea turtle nesting season is now April 15, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, whose volunteers began monitoring the beaches this week for signs of nesting.

Residents and beachgoers can help improve the chances of successful turtle nesting and hatching this season by turning off lights visible from the beach and closing blinds or drapes 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; they can disorient turtles.

Remove all beach chairs and other objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting, entrap them 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. You might also accidentally dig into an unmarked nest. To report large holes or other turtle obstacles, call:

• City of Anna Maria code enforcement – 941-708-6130, ext. 111;

• City of Bradenton Beach code enforcement – 941-778-1005, ext. 227;

• City of Holmes Beach code enforcement – 941-778-0331, ext. 260.

Level sandcastles before leaving the beach; they can block hatchlings from the water.

Don’t use balloons, wish lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf, and turtles can ingest the debris.

Avoid trimming 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).

A series of Turtle Talks about living with sea turtles is being planned for May at Holmes Beach City Hall, with dates to be announced soon, Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said.

Funding for the educational outreach program comes in part from the Suzi L. Fox Adopt-a-Nest Program. For a $125 tax-deductible donation, a plaque dedicated to a person or organization of the donor’s choice is placed on a sea turtle nest that has been laid on an Island beach. When the nest hatches and data is collected, an adoption package is sent to the donor containing a personalized adoption certificate and the location of the nest, the handmade wooden plaque, information about the nest written on the back of the plaque and a letter of appreciation from the volunteers working on the nesting beaches.

“We do not let you know when your adopted nest will hatch. This is protected information that we do not give out,” according to the Turtle Watch website.

Plaques will be placed on the beach between mid-June through August and remain on the nests for the approximately two-month incubation period.

Turtle Watch releases stranding report

Turtle Watch releases stranding report

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

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – 2023 was a busy year for the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Turtle Stranding and Salvage Team.

From January 2023 through January 2024, the team responded to 20 calls for stranded sea turtles. Those responses included nine loggerheads, 10 green turtles and one unidentified species due to distance from the shoreline.

Two of the turtles were rescued alive and one of them was released back into Island waters in good health, according to a press release from Turtle Watch Stranding Coordinator Karen Anderson.

The turtle nesting season begins on May 1 and ends Oct. 31, but Turtle Watch volunteers are working to protect sea turtles all year long through its stranding and salvage team.

Strandings are often reported by boaters and beachgoers, and the Turtle Watch team is trained to respond to calls on or near Anna Maria Island and its surrounding waters.

“The AMITW Stranding and Salvage Team holds a Marine Turtle Permit issued by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) which requires special training to work with endangered species,” according to Anderson.

A stranding occurs when a sick, injured or dead sea turtle floats on the surface of the water and tidal currents may push it on or near the shoreline.

Anderson wrote that there are a variety of reasons that sea turtles strand, including plastic ingestion, boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear (fishing line, nets and hooks), shark bites, viral or parasitic infection, diseases, red tide and cold water temperatures.

Some of these threats are natural, but many are caused by humans and are preventable if we follow a few simple guidelines:

• Place trash in its proper place;

• Follow Coast Guard-approved safe boating practices;

• Use vigilance and wear polarized sunglasses while boating to avoid striking marine life.

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

Hazards impede turtle hatchlings

Hazards impede turtle hatchlings

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

HOLMES BEACH – Four turtle hatchlings that had fallen into a hole on the beach were found by Holmes Beach Code Enforcement staff on the morning of July 16.

While entrapped, the turtles were using up energy they needed for their long swim to the floating sargassum line where they will spend the next few years.

“You can prevent this,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring posted on its Facebook page. “Fill in your holes and spread the word that by filling our holes and leaving the beach flat, we can all help share the beach with sea turtles!”

A code enforcement officer called Turtle Watch at 941-301-8434 to report the hatchlings, which were later safely released to the Gulf of Mexico.

“We’ve had at least two nests this season that have had hatchlings trapped in holes on their way to the water,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said.

Besides unfilled holes in the sand, another ongoing hazard to turtles is beach furniture that is left out overnight.

“We are in contact with all (three) municipalities on the Island,” Mazzarella said. “We let them know when we see beach furniture left out overnight and they usually come to attend to it – either remove it or speak to the folks that left it out.”

She said all of the municipalities are very responsive when they hear from Turtle Watch volunteers.

“We do not tag or remove furniture that’s been left out,” she said. “We leave that to code enforcement. Beach furniture has definitely been a problem on the entire Island, but since hatching season started, our focus has been primarily on lighting and disorientations.”

Lights facing the beaches can disorient turtle hatchlings on their way to the water.

Mazzarella said tent canopy structures with sandbags on the legs have been left on the beach often, with the structure left flat on the ground.

“I don’t think people realize that this is still an entanglement hazard for nesting turtles and needs to be removed just like all the other furniture,” Mazzarella said.

Loggerhead sea turtle ‘Suzi’ released into race

Loggerhead sea turtle ‘Suzi’ released into race

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

BRADENTON BEACH – As hundreds of delighted onlookers gathered to see a publicized turtle release at Coquina Beach, loggerhead sea turtle “Suzi” made a grand entrance from the sand to the water.

She hesitated several times walking on the beach, appearing to look at the crowd that had gathered, but once she reached the water she was in her element and took off swimming.

The June 27 release, however, won’t be the last time Suzi’s whereabouts will be known. Just after nesting in Bradenton Beach, she was outfitted with a satellite monitor and is the latest turtle to join the Tour de Turtles race. Her location will be monitored for several months via satellite.

“She nested right here and we boxed her up. We dedicated the nest that she laid to Suzi Fox, so we have a plaque here,” said Kristin Mazzarella, executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. “She’s now part of the Tour de Turtles race.”

Turtle Watch volunteer Barbara Riskay praised the naming of the loggerhead in commemoration of Suzi Fox, the late executive director of Turtle Watch.

“It was a no-brainer to name her ‘Suzi,’ ” Riskay said.

Within three days of her release, loggerhead Suzi had traveled 16 miles at an average speed of .25 mph.

The release was sponsored by the non-profit Sea Turtle Conservancy, along with Turtle Watch and Waterline Resort.

“Started in 2008, the Tour de Turtles is a fun, educational journey through the science, research and geography of sea turtle migration using satellite telemetry,” according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy website. “Created by Sea Turtle Conservancy, with help from sponsors and partners, this event follows the marathon migration of sea turtles, representing four different species, from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds.”

By tracking sea turtles, scientists have learned a lot about them.

“We now know that sea turtles are highly migratory, often traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles between the beaches where they lay their eggs and the foraging (feeding) grounds where they spend much of their time at sea,” according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy website. “Since most research conducted on marine turtles has been carried out on nesting beaches and well over 90% of a sea turtle’s life is spent in the water – feeding, mating, migrating and doing whatever else a sea turtle does when no one is watching – we are missing important information that can help us better protect sea turtles.”

Check the Sun’s Facebook page for weekly updates on Suzi’s location in “Where’s Suzi?”

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 Watch commemorates Suzi Fox Day

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

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As turtle nesting season begins, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring (AMITW) declared May 1 as Suzi Fox Day to honor the legacy of its former executive director.

May 1 is the official start of sea turtle nesting season on Anna Maria Island, although the first turtle nest was laid in April this year. The season ends on Oct. 31.

“Suzi’s passion for protecting sea turtles enriched the community conservation efforts of AMITW for over 30 years and we dedicate this sea turtle nesting season to her,” Turtle Watch Director Kristen Mazzarella said.

“As part of our efforts to honor Suzi, we are renaming our Adopt-a-Nest Program in her memory,” Mazzarella said.

The “Suzi L. Fox Adopt-a-Nest” program allows donors to symbolically adopt a sea turtle nest laid on Island beaches. Proceeds from the program help Turtle Watch protect sea turtles and provide education and outreach.

Turtle Watch commemorates Suzi Fox Day
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring dedicated this plaque in memory of late executive director Suzi Fox. – Submitted | Turtle Watch

A plaque intended to be placed on a nest laid on May 1 says in part, “In Loving Memory of Suzi L. Fox. Her legacy continues as the Sea Turtles and Shorebirds return to AMI.”

“Only the turtles know which nest it will be,” Mazzarella said.

For the safety of the nest and hatchlings, AMITW does not disclose the nesting dates or locations of nests, Mazzarella said.

May 1 was also proclaimed “Suzi Fox Day” in the city of Bradenton Beach.

The Bradenton Beach City Commission issued the proclamation in January to honor Fox, who served as Turtle Watch director until her death on Sept. 30, 2022.

Under Fox’s directorship, the organization grew.

“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.

Sea turtles on the Island broke both nesting and hatchling records in 2022.

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.