Turtles take to the beach

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alex Echols
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Every year, more than 40 migrants take up residence on Tyndall's beaches for one night and for one reason: to give their offspring its best chance of survival.

Sea turtle nesting season is from May 1 to Aug. 31 and Tyndall has 17 miles of beach coast line that is a prime location for threatened or endangered turtle species to lay their eggs.

Last year, the base's beaches hosted 44 sea turtle nests with a total of 4,275 eggs inside them. Thanks to the Natural Resources effort, 60 percent of those eggs hatched on the shoreline, said John Jennings, 325th Civil Engineer Squadron Natural Resources wildlife biological technician.

"We hope to get that number up this year," said Jennings. "Our main species here on Tyndall are loggerheads, though we have had a few leatherbacks and some green turtles."

To give the turtles the best chance at life, Natural Resources first locates the nests by following the turtle crawl marks in the sand. Then, they fortify the nests against natural predators like coyotes and armadillos, by installing a self-releasing screen on top of the nest that is large enough for the baby turtles to get out of but small enough that the predators cannot get in.

They then cordon off the area around the nest and post signs to deter humans from disturbing it. Natural Resources members and volunteers are able to track these nests throughout the season by attaching a tag with the nest number and date.

The incubation period of the eggs is about 60 days. Natural Resources will actively monitor all the tagged nests closely, especially when one gets closer to its hatch date. Once hatched, they will dig up the nest to make sure there are no baby turtles still stuck inside and take inventory of the eggs.  Each nest can hold from 75 to 150 eggs, said Jennings.

Here are some ways the average beach goer can help protect these turtles:

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- Be aware and stay clear of the cordoned areas.
- If there is a crawl path on the beach, do not walk across or disturb it.
- When planning a squadron or group run, coordinate with Natural Resources so they can clear the beach beforehand.
- Do not bring dogs to the beach.
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The Natural Resources Office is looking for volunteers to help them survey the beach and maximize their efforts to protect these turtles. For more information please contact them at (850)-283-2822.

"This conservation is important because these species are either threatened or endangered," said Jennings. "The job is quite rewarding. You get a lot of satisfaction out of helping the species survive and it's a once in a lifetime experience that most people don't get to do."

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, endangered species are on the brink of extinction now and threatened species are likely to be at that brink in the near future.

For more information on how the turtles are doing, keep watch of this publication for a follow-up story in August.