Winnie, a female loggerhead sea turtle, came in tenth place in a field of 12 turtles in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Tour de Turtles Race that began on Aug. 1. She traveled 458 miles in the Gulf of Mexico since she was satellite-tagged and released after nesting on Coquina Beach on June 23 and 307 miles since the race began. The Tour de Turtles Race ended on Oct. 31.
Winnie swam to raise awareness about the threat of light pollution and how lighting near shore can negatively impact nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings.
Her participation in the 2025 Tour de Turtles was sponsored by Hurricane Hanks and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring reported sea turtle nesting was a little slower this week than last week, and while it’s unclear whether any records will be broken, they are expecting a good year.
Turtle Watch volunteers report seeing a lot of false crawls this season. There have been 357 so far with the season officially beginning on May 1. The record was 831 in 2010.
“False crawls are what we call it when a turtle comes up on the beach but turns around without nesting. There’s no way to truly identify why a turtle false crawled, but sometimes they are spooked by people walking on the beach at night,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in a June 18 email update.
Turtle Watch volunteers find a loggerhead false crawl at Bean Point. -Karen Anderson | Submitted
Turtle Watch conducts their patrols in the morning so as not to disturb nesting turtles and recommends that people stay off the beach at night during nesting season.
“Even the most conscientious person can inadvertently spook a turtle that is coming onto the beach to nest,” Mazzarella wrote. “If you are on the beach at night, please remember not to use white lights on the beach (this includes cell phones and flash photography) and if you use a red light, point it directly at the ground. If you come across a sea turtle, stay at least 20 feet away from the turtle, out of her line of sight.”
NESTING NEWS:
Turtle nests laid: 209 (Record: 543 in 2019)
False crawls: 357 (Record: 831 in 2010)
Nests hatched: 0 (Record: 453 in 2022)
Hatchlings produced: 0 (Record: 35,850 in 2022)
Hatchling disorientations: 0
Adult disorientations: 17
Nests remaining on beach: 209 Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring
HOLMES BEACH – Deeply-dug beach holes, and using metal shovels to dig those holes, are becoming a major concern on Anna Maria Island’s beaches; and county officials are asking the three Island cities to adopt local ordinances to help address the problem.
Manatee County Natural Resources Department Director Charlie Hunsicker expressed his concerns about unfilled beach holes when giving a presentation to the Holmes Beach mayor and city commissioners on May 13. He plans to make similar presentations to the Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach mayors and commissioners and he hopes all three cities will adopt ordinances that mirror a county ordinance adopted within the past year or so.
Natural Resources Department Director Charlie Hunsicker addressed the Holmes Beach City Commission. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding the removal of natural resources, County Ordinance 23-121 states: “No person shall dig, damage, remove, displace or destroy any beach sand, whether submerged or not, or any soil, rock, stone, tree, shrub or plant, or down-timber or other wood or material, or excavate by tool, equipment, blasting, or other means without first obtaining a permit from the director. Exception is made for the building of sandcastles or other sand sculptures, except that the sand used for such activities must not be moved from the general vicinity of its source. The area must be returned to its original state after use.”
In regard to digging holes on a county beach, the ordinance states: “No person shall possess on or about the sandy Gulf beach a metal shovel of the type customarily sold in hardware stores – not a children’s toy – unless part of a construction project permitted under the Florida Building Code or similar law. No person shall dig a hole in the sandy Gulf beach deeper than one foot below surrounding grade unless part of a construction project permitted under the Florida Building Code or similar law.”
Manatee County owns and manages Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach and Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. The county also maintains and manages Bayfront Park in Anna Maria, which is city-owned and includes a beachfront area along the Tampa Bay shoreline. The county does not have the authority to regulate beaches that are not county-owned or county-managed.
As part of the efforts to protect the Island beaches, those who visit them and the wildlife that inhabits them, Hunsicker encouraged the Holmes Beach mayor and commission to consider adopting a city ordinance that would allow the city’s police officers and code compliance officers to enforce hole digging regulations similar to the county’s. Hunsicker will soon ask the Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach mayors and city commissioners to do the same.
“Everyone wants to come and build a sandcastle and get buried on the sand, but what we’re seeing now, and what we’ve seen the last several years, is a movement towards this massive work,” Hunsicker said.
His presentation includes a photo of large holes dug several feet deep on county beaches – some with adults standing in them and some with teenagers standing in them.
“Why is this happening? Because they’re out here with garden tools,” Hunsicker said. “No one’s going to be opposed to a beach pail and a plastic beach shovel and building family traditions and memories about some sandcastle. However, we’ve reached the point where some of these things are just excessive.”
Hunsicker said uncovered holes in the beach sand are even harder to see at night, which can result in people getting injured and sea turtles and other wildlife becoming fatally trapped. His presentation includes a photo of a loggerhead turtle that fell into a beach hole and died on its back, unable to escape.
Hunsicker’s presentation also references an Associated Press news story about a 2024 beach hole collapse in Fort Lauderdale that resulted in the death of a young girl. That story also references three other 2023-24 sand digging incidents that resulted in the deaths of a teenager in each instance.
Beach raker’s observations:
As the county’s primary beach rake operator, longtime Cortez resident Mark Taylor drives a large John Deere tractor up and down the county beaches towing a beach rake. Based in Holmes Beach but utilized Island-wide, the beach rake collects seaweed, algae, dead marine life and wildlife, trash and other beach debris.
Beach Rake operator Mark Taylor shared his concerns with the Holmes Beach mayor and commissioners. – Joe Hendricks Sun
Hunsicker said Taylor once encountered a deep beach hole with a two-year-old child at the bottom of it; had he not seen the hole and then passed over it with the beach rake the consequences could have been disastrous.
At Hunsicker’s request, Taylor addressed the mayor and commission.
“Your police department has had to rope off holes that are bigger than my tractor and rig combined. These holes are dangerous. It’s a real problem,” Taylor said.
Beach rake operator Mark Taylor often encounters deep holes in the sand while navigating the Island beaches. – Manatee County | Submitted
Taylor said he has to avoid the holes when raking the beaches and he also expressed concerns about lifeguards and other first responders hitting an unseen hole while driving on the beach at an accelerated speed.
He said he gets out of his tractor a half-dozen times a day to kindly remind beachgoers to fill their holes before leaving. He also reminds them it’s currently sea turtle nesting season.
This county tractor and beach rake are stored near the Holmes Beach Skate Park. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Taylor said the county beaches are his top priority but he often operates the tractor and beach rake Island-wide, including while traveling from one county beach to another. During turtle nesting season, Taylor works closely with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella to ensure the Gulf shoreline is clear of debris and that the sand is properly sloped for the sea turtles to travel upon.
Taylor supports all three Island cities adopting beach regulations similar to the county regulations.
Commission comments:
Mayor Judy Titsworth said the city recently updated the public beach access signs placed at city street ends.
Regarding sea turtle awareness, the signs say:
“Lights out of for sea turtles May 1-Oct. 31;
“Do not approach turtles or nests;
“Remove beach furniture at dusk;
“Leave nests and signs undisturbed;
“Fill all holes dug in the sand.”
Signs placed at the public beach access points include sea turtle nesting season instructions. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Police Chief Bill Tokajer supports the adoption of a city ordinance that would provide his officers and the city’s code compliance officers with the authority they need to direct beachgoers to fill their excessive holes immediately and return their metal shovels to their vehicles.
“Deeper than your knee is too far,” Tokajer said about enforcing an ordinance that would limit the depth of the holes dug in the beach sand.
City Attorney Erica Augello said she has no legal concerns about the city adopting an ordinance that mirrors the county’s language and she noted the commission could revise the county language if so desired.
The commission reached unanimous consensus in directing Augello to draft an ordinance and present it for first reading at a future commission meeting. Any changes desired by the mayor, commission or city staff can then be incorporated before the ordinance is brought back for second reading and final adoption.
HOLMES BEACH – The weekly Monday morning Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts presentations have begun.
The free lively and informative presentations about sea turtles and shorebirds by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers are at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, on Mondays from 10-11 a.m. through August. There is no presentation on May 26 (Memorial Day).
Karen Anderson presented an overview and precautions about nesting sea turtles and hatchlings on May 5, followed by a presentation by Kathy Doddridge about nesting and migrating shorebirds.
Slides during the presentation included such facts as Anna Maria Island is home to between 400-500 sea turtle nests each year, the characteristics of sea turtles with their paddle-like flippers and non-retractable heads, the identification of sea turtle tracks, the adult weight of loggerhead sea turtles between 200-300 pounds and the fact that mother sea turtles return to the area where they are hatched to lay their eggs.
Anderson spoke about the threats to sea turtles on land that include holes in the sand and beach furniture left on the beach, habitat loss, predators and artificial lighting that draws nesting mothers and hatchlings away from their natural course to the water.
Doddridge discussed protected shorebirds that nest on Anna Maria Island, which includes black skimmers, snowy plovers and least terns. The shorebird nesting season on the Island runs from February through September.
She cautioned beachgoers to be mindful of nests, which are shallow holes in the sand, called scrapes, and where the eggs and nests could be camouflaged by sand. She said nesting birds are extremely sensitive to disturbance and if disturbed, will fly off their nests, leaving eggs and chicks vulnerable to predators.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As the sea turtle nesting season slows down, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers continue excavating hatched nests on local beaches.
High surf caused by Hurricane Francine in the western Gulf of Mexico inundated several nests with salt water, which will likely impact their success, but about half the remaining nests are still high and dry.
Several upcoming events will support the non-profit group’s mission of protecting sea turtles.
Painting with a Purpose will raise funds on Sunday, Sept. 22 from 3-5 p.m. at Slicker’s Eatery, 12012 Cortez Road W. The cost is $75 per person and includes painting with a local artist, two glasses of wine and flatbread appetizers. No painting experience is necessary. Seating is limited. Sign up at https://paintingwithatwist.com/studio/bradenton or call 941-795-7928.
Turtle Watch volunteers Nancy and Bob Brown excavate one of the remaining hatched sea turtle nests on the beach as turtle season winds down. – Submitted | AMITW
The Suzi L. Fox Adopt a Nest Program is open for 2025 adoptions. Each nest adoption includes a certificate of adoption, notification of the plaque placement and the location of your nest. The plaque is mailed to you after the nest has hatched. Next year there are new options. With the Special Request Adopt a Nest, Turtle Watch will offer the ability to choose the general location of the nest and date that the plaque will be posted on the beach, as well as offering a photo of the plaque when placed and notification after the nest has hatched.
“We thank the 259 adoptees that participated in our Suzi L. Fox Adopt a Nest program in 2024. The proceeds from these nest adoptions go towards all the outreach programs and materials we produce to educate visitors and locals about sea turtles and how they can conserve and protect their island habitat,” according to a release from Turtle Watch.
For more information, visit https://islandturtlewatch.com/get-involved/adopt-a-nest/
Turtle Watch Wednesday will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 4-6 p.m. at Hurricane Hanks, 5346 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach. The free event features live and silent auctions and live music. VIP tickets are available for $80 per person and include reserved seating, a swag bag and event T-shirt. Call Barbara for reservations at 404-275-9422.
A photo calendar – Anna Maria Life: Through the Lens of Angie Blunt 2025 – is available at the following Island locations: Lazy Turtle, Anna Maria Island Historical Society, Anna Maria Life Vacation Rentals, Ginny’s & Jane E’s, The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce and Sea-renity Beach Spa & Bou-tiki, as well as online.
BRADENTON BEACH – Upon seeing a group of six people digging around a marked turtle nest at the south end of Coquina Beach on Saturday, two early morning walkers did exactly what they were supposed to do – contact authorities.
“We saw a group of people digging with their hands into the nest. They were laughing and taking selfies and when we told them that it was illegal they became really rude,” one of the observers said.
The observers, Charlotte and Teri, contacted the Bradenton Beach Police Department non-emergency line.
“If they would have said, ‘Sorry, we didn’t know,’ I would have walked away, but instead they continued on to disturb two more nests,” Teri said.
An officer came out and contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
“There were four women and two men,” Charlotte said. “One of the women was put in handcuffs.”
After about an hour, FWC officers arrived, the women said.
“FWC showed up and I showed them the nests and he said he wanted me to sign the report,” Teri said. “When the other FWC gentlemen came over, they had a conference and said I didn’t need to sign a report, because there was no wet sand, even though you can clearly see the nest they disturbed.”
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella was notified of the incident and sent a volunteer out to check the nests.
“What that tells me about the wet sand is that they didn’t dig too deeply because the sand below the surface is wet,” she said. “But you should never put your hands inside a turtle nest enclosure.”
Sea turtles are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act and Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act. According to Florida law, no one may harass, disturb, take, move, sell, damage, destroy, injure or kill any marine turtle, hatchling, egg or nest.
In an email request by The Sun for comment on the incident, FWC Public Information Officer Bradley Johnson wrote the following:
“On July 13, 2024, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Bradenton Beach Police Department, and an FWC biologist responded to a report of a sea turtle nest disturbance on Coquina Beach. Once on scene FWC officers and biologists surveyed the nests and did not locate any evidence of the nests having been disturbed. FWC officers also spoke to the individuals who were near the nests and educated them on sea turtle nests and their protections.”
Mazzarella said the two women did the right thing by contacting authorities.
“Each of the three cities has a non-emergency telephone line,” she said. “The number for FWC is posted at each nest.”
If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922), or 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.
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Kristen Mazzarella said the past week has been a strong one for local sea turtles and shorebirds.
“There was a great increase in the number of (turtle) crawls over last week,” she said, with the number of nests increasing from six to 48.
A colony of least terns also is doing well, according to Mazzarella.
“The number of nests in the colony has increased to 12 this week” from four last week, she said of the imperiled shorebirds.
She reminded beachgoers to fill holes in the sand and level sandcastles before leaving the beach, so sea turtles do not get trapped, and steer clear of the posted bird nesting area.
On Tuesday, May 28, Turtle Watch will present a Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts presentation at noon at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
The presentation is free and open to the public.
TURTLE TIPS
During sea turtle season, May 1 – Oct. 31, follow these tips to help turtles:
• 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 beach chairs and other 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. 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.
• 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).
Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring
NESTING NEWS
Turtle nests laid: 48 (Record: 544 in 2019)
False crawls: 39 (Record: 831 in 2010)
Nests hatched: 0 (Record: 453 in 2022)
Hatchlings hatched: 0 (Record: 35,850 in 2022)
Hatchling disorientations: 0
Adult disorientations: 0
Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring
In the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Tour de Turtles race, which ended on Nov. 1, loggerhead sea turtle Suzi finished in fifth place in a field of 11 sea turtles, having traveled 1,355 miles. Sea turtle Bella took first with 1,534 miles. Suzi was released from Coquina Beach after nesting and being satellite-tagged on June 27. She soon headed to the Yucatan Peninsula, where she has remained for several weeks. Suzi swam in the race to bring attention to the cause of light pollution and how lighting near shore can negatively impact nesting turtles and their hatchlings. She was named in honor of Suzi Fox, the late executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, which sponsored her along with the Coastal Wildlife Club and Waterline Marina and Resort.
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.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The 2023 turtle nesting season is coming to an early end, partly due to Hurricane Idalia.
“No changes in nest numbers,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella said. “That’s not surprising as this is usually the hatching time of year.”
The last nest on the Gulf of Mexico side of the Island hatched on Sept. 19 and volunteers continue to check three remaining nests on the bay side.
“We are still hoping to see a hatch,” she said.
Sea turtle season officially begins on May 1 and ends on Oct. 31.
Volunteers did not conduct patrols on Aug. 30 due to Idalia, but they were out on the beach assessing the status of the nests the following day.
“We had 76 unhatched nests left on the beach when Hurricane Idalia came through. Stakes were lost from all but 12 of them,” Mazzarella said.
“It is possible that some nests may still hatch, although unmarked. Turtle season is not quite over, but we are happy with the results, having allowed nearly 23,000 hatchlings to go out to sea prior to the storm.”
One local celebrity loggerhead turtle, Suzi – named after the late Suzi Fox, longtime executive director of Turtle Watch – was released from Coquina Beach on June 27 after being fitted with a satellite monitor. She is participating in the Sea Turtle Conservancy Tour de Turtles race and is currently swimming in the Gulf of Mexico near Cancun, Mexico.
The hatchling numbers from Suzi’s nest were unavailable due to the storm.
“Unfortunately, we never saw Suzi’s nest hatch prior to the storm, so we don’t have any information on how many hatchlings the nest produced,” Mazzarella said. “It is possible it hatched on one of the rainy days prior to Hurricane Idalia. The rain sometimes makes it impossible to see the hatchling tracks and therefore document the hatch.”
As the season winds down, Turtle Watch focuses on education and outreach.
“We are looking forward to having a booth at the Anna Maria Farmer’s Market in October,” Mazzarella said. “We are still compiling our data and working on coordinating with the schools about outreach programs.”
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.
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.”
MANATEE COUNTY – What goes up must come down, but in the release of celebratory helium-filled balloons, it’s the coming down that creates problems.
In addition to adding trash to the waters, deflated balloons can cause marine life to become entangled and die. The balloons also can be ingested by marine life.
In May, researchers from the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP) spent five days offshore conducting dolphin research, but they found more than dolphins.
“We collected 76 balloons and other marine debris up to dozens of miles offshore, including two ghost crab trap lines with floats and a beach ball. Most of the balloons had Mother’s Day or birthday messages,” according to the SDRP website.
Mylar balloons are made of synthetic nylon with a metallic coating, are non-biodegradable and can travel long distances.
“They heavily contribute to oceanic waste and animals can become entangled in them or ill from ingesting whole balloons or pieces,” according to the SDRP. “Wayward balloons are also extra dangerous for sea turtles because they resemble jellyfish – one of turtles’ common prey items.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) also warns against the release of balloons as being hazardous to marine life.
“Marine and coastal wildlife can become entangled or trapped in many items such as fishing line, crab traps, balloons with attached string, beach furniture and other types of marine debris. In addition, some of these items may be ingested, leading to further harm,” according to the FWC website. “Monofilament fishing line and other plastics (bags, deflated balloons, etc.) can drift into seagrass beds or snag onto floating vegetation – a sure path to a slow death if a manatee ingests any of these items and is not able to pass it through its digestive system.”
Florida Statute 379.23 prohibits the release of more than 10 balloons within 24 hours. Violation of the law can result in a $250 fine.
ANNA MARIA – In a cooperative effort between Mote Marine Laboratory and The Florida Aquarium, two loggerhead sea turtles were released at Bayfront Park on May 30 after months of care and rehabilitation for the effects of red tide toxin.
“We are proud to collaborate with The Florida Aquarium in our shared mission to rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles,” Mote’s Rehabilitation and Medical Care Coordinator Lynne Byrd said in a press release. “By combining our expertise and resources, we can provide these magnificent creatures with the best possible care, ensuring their recovery and return to the big blue.”
The two rescued loggerhead sea turtles were nicknamed Valerie and Mahomes. Valerie was discovered floating nearshore off Longboat Key on Feb. 21. She appeared to have been affected by toxins from red tide, a waterborne algae that also can affect human respiration. She was transported to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital in Sarasota and began receiving injectable antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids until symptoms improved.
When Valerie arrived at the hospital, Mote scientists found that she already had a flipper tag and a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag. The PIT tag, placed by Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program in 2019, gave the turtle a unique barcode identification number that allowed scientists to gain valuable insights into her migratory patterns, growth rates, survival and reproductive output, according to Mote.
Mahomes was found washed ashore off Casey Key Road in Sarasota County and also showed symptoms of red tide toxicity.
Initially admitted to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital on Feb. 13, Mahomes was later transferred to The Florida Aquarium Turtle Rehabilitation Center on Feb. 24 to better prepare Mote for what they anticipated to be high numbers of incoming sea turtle patients affected by toxic red tide exposure.
Mahomes received antibiotics and supportive care during the course of rehabilitation to help rid the sea turtle’s body of toxins.
Before the release, Mahomes was outfitted with a satellite tag by The Florida Aquarium and the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
“These tags provide critically important information about diving, feeding, migratory and activity patterns all while recording corresponding environmental data such as water temperatures. This data will help better understand the patient’s behavior after reintroduction and provides key insight for future rehabilitation and conservation efforts,” according to Mote.
Following their months of care, the loggerheads successfully cleared all health assessments mandated by wildlife officials for release.
“Every turtle matters, as they serve as ambassadors for the critical need to protect and conserve these creatures and the habitats they rely on,” Byrd said in the release. “Every rehabilitated sea turtle is a symbol of hope for the future of our oceans.”
Within Sarasota or Manatee county waters, if you see a stranded or dead sea turtle, dolphin or whale, please call Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program, a 24-hour response service, at 941-988-0212.
If you see a stranded or dead manatee anywhere in state waters or a stranded or dead sea turtle, dolphin or whale outside of Sarasota or Manatee counties, please call the FWC Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
