TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A team of volunteers known as the Tyndall Turtle Trackers marked the first sea turtle nest on a Tyndall Beach for the 2018 season May 12 and have found 10 additional nests throughout May.
May is the first month of sea turtle nesting season in Florida and all the nests are believed to belong to Loggerhead Sea Turtles, the most common species of sea turtle to nest on Tyndall.
The Turtle Trackers are headed up by the 325th Civil Engineer Squadron’s Natural Resources flight, but it is staffed by more than 25 volunteers from the base and local community.
At the start of each season, teams go out every weekend, and the Natural Resources personnel go out on week days to comb the beaches of Tyndall to find signs of sea turtle nests. This effort takes place every year in an attempt to help provide numbers for the overall conservation efforts of sea turtles in Florida.
Some volunteers have been volunteering to help with Tyndall’s conservation efforts for more than a decade.
Linda Yori, a science teacher at the University Academy in Panama City, Fl. and a member of the Tyndall Turtle Trackers has been volunteering to help with Tyndall’s conservation efforts for more than 12 years.
Having the opportunity to be a part of conservation efforts for wild life here at Tyndall has been amazing, said Yori. Tyndall has a wonderful volunteer program and they reach out to the local community as well as those on base to take part. They also provide education on not just the sea turtles but the many endangered species that call Tyndall home.
Sea Turtles generally nest at night, so a typical day for a tracker starts very early. They arrive at the NCO Beach house at 5:30 a.m., check and prepare equipment, jump on their All-Terrain Vehicles and head out for their assigned beach areas.
Once on the beach and the sun is rising, volunteers will immediately start looking for turtle tracks.
“When you get out to the beach it’s just so beautiful and peaceful,” said Yori. “And it is so exciting when you actually find one!”
When turtle tracks are found on the beach, a tracker will first try to determine what kind of sea turtle made the tracks. Different species of turtles are known for making different patterns in the sand when they crawl to make a nest.
Once the species determination is made, they will then follow the tracks to try to determine if the female sea turtle deposited her eggs or made a “false crawl.” False crawls are when female turtles will crawl out of the ocean and on to the beach, but not actually make a nest, for natural reasons or possibly because she was disturbed by people or artificial lights.
If there is a nest suspected, the trackers will then mark the nest by placing 4 poles with tape, a sign to warn beachgoers of the presence of a nest and a metal screen over the top layer of sand to try and ward off predators.
Onshore threats to eggs and hatchlings include ghost crabs, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, dogs, feral cats, seagulls, wading birds, crows, eagles, poachers and light pollution. Even the sea oats that grow in the dunes can pose a threat to the nests. The oat’s roots can sometimes grow into the eggs as they naturally seek nutrients.
Because of the already drastic threats the turtle nests face, it is critical that beachgoers respect and do not disturb any nesting turtles, hatchlings or nests that they may find.
Sea turtle nesting season goes through to the end of October, but hatchlings are expected to start emerging from their nests to make the trip across the beach and into the ocean in July.
“I feel very fortunate to know so many thoughtful environmental stewards who make up our dependable volunteer team,” Danielle Bumgardner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife biologist. “It is a pleasure to get to know the numerous active duty personnel, military dependents, and locals from our community, who share their time to make a difference in these conservation efforts. I am very proud to partner with Tyndall as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist as we continuously do our best to ensure the conservation and protection of threatened and endangered species through multiple programs here at the Natural Resources flight.”