TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --
Sea turtles will begin nesting soon on Tyndall beaches.
Various species of sea turtles such as loggerhead and green turtles will begin their nesting season in May until August, with a peak in June and July.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FFWCC) website, sea turtles usually look for areas that are not too wet or dry and are not too cluttered by shells, rocks or vegetation.
“In 2015, Tyndall had 94 sea turtle nests on the beach,” said Jared Kwitowski, 325th Civil Engineering Squadron Environmental Flight biologist. “This included 81 Loggerhead and 13 Green turtle nests. On average a nest consists of 93 eggs, of which 54 babies will hatch. This gives a hatch rate of about 58 percent.”
A FFWCC factsheet said only about one in 1,000 turtles survive to adulthood. Hatchlings die of dehydration if they don't make it to the ocean fast enough. Birds, crabs and other animals also prey on the young turtles.
There are five Florida species of sea turtle, and they are all listed as either endangered or threatened. The Federal Endangered Species Act lists the green, leatherback, hawksbill, and Kemp's Ridley turtle as endangered. The loggerhead is listed as threatened. This makes it illegal to harm, harass or kill any sea turtles, their eggs or hatchlings. It is also illegal to import, sell or transport turtles or their products, according to the FFWCC.
Because of the turtles’ sensitive population, they should not be disturbed and nests should always protected.
“Disturbing a nest could prevent eggs from hatching, hatchlings from emerging and it also could alert nest predators to the presence of the nest, which then may eat the eggs or hatchling turtles,” Kwitowski said. “The baby turtle’s instincts tell them to go towards the brightest source of light, which on natural beaches is usually the open horizon. Limiting lighting such as headlights, flashlights, house lights and stadium lights on beaches where turtles nest will help prevent disorientation and allow the turtles to safely find the water after nesting or hatching.”
“It is also important to keep waters and beaches clean of trash, especially fishing line and hooks, ropes, nets and plastics,” Kwitowski added. “These plastics can cause the loss of limbs or death by constriction if the turtle becomes entwined in it. Nesting habitat loss on beach front property is also a major problem.”
There are ways to contribute to helping the sea turtles.
“The next time you renew your automobile registration at your local tax collector's office, request a specialty sea turtle plate,” Kwitowski said. “The extra dollars go toward protection, research and recovery programs at the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund in the FFWCC.”
If effort is put forth, Florida’s sea turtles can be saved. Initiative from conservation groups have had a positive effect on the turtle population over the years.
“Sea turtle nesting at Tyndall has remained relatively stable in the last few years and have slowly increased in the last decade,” said Kwitowski.
For more information on sea turtles and how to protect them, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website at: http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/florida/faq/