Sea turtles hatch at Tyndall

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher Reel
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The first, of more then 65, sea turtle nests hatched on Tyndall's beaches Saturday night, July 21, followed by the second hatching late Sunday night, July 22.

From the hatched nests, 220 loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings crawled safely down the beach to the Gulf of Mexico. Another 5,000 hatchlings may dig out of nests on Tyndall's beaches this summer if weather permits.

The 325th Civil Engineer Squadron Natural Resources teams monitor the sea turtle nests from the day they are laid.

Sea turtle nesting season begins in May and continues through October. The first nest of the year was found May 15.

Every morning the teams ride down Tyndall's beaches, on their four-wheelers, to scan the 17-mile coastline looking for new nests, predation of current nests, and any signs of hatchings.

According to Wendy Jones, 325th CES Natural Resources wildlife biologist, the nests will hatch approximately 60 days after they are laid. Survey teams keep watch to make sure the nests are doing okay.

Once hatched, the Natural Resources teams wait three days to ensure the majority of the turtles have hatched.

"We then excavate the hatched nests to see if there were any turtles still trying to dig their way out, and evaluate how many egg shells hatched," added Ms. Jones. "After we collect the data, we report it to the state of Florida at the end of the season."

If the 325th CES Natural Resources teams notice a nest that has not hatched after 70 days, they dig it up and conduct an assessment.

Additional nests are expected to hatch by the beginning of August. If an individual comes across a turtle hatchling, it is advised not use flash photography or shine white flashlights, as this disorients the turtles. Instead use red lights or filters.

If a sea turtle or a beach crawl is found on Tyndall's beaches, contact Natural Resources at (850) 283-2641, and for beaches off base contact the Florida Wildlife Alert Hotline at (888) 404- FWCC (3922).