SOUTH FLORIDA keeps SEA TURTLES SEASON in THE DARK

Updated on March 4th, 2015

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Published in Events & Entertainment

Photo: 2014 Sea Turtle Nesting Count

Sea turtle nesting season has legitimately taken place on March 1st and along South Florida’s coastline, locals have already stumbled upon several sea turtles sightings on the naturally pure beaches. “In the dark and out of sight is where South Florida’s sea turtle population literally comes to life.” Seasonal lighting regulations have taken into effect which entails waterfront residents and nearby businesses that are close to the Atlantic Ocean to faint lights in order to help prevent female turtles from being scared off and aborting the natural nesting process.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, has been working very hard to educate and rehabilitate sea creatures all while tracking, researching and preserving marine life. Research Field Manager stated “The hard work – and hopefully the results – ramp up starting March 1, the start of what should be a strong – and possibly record-breaking – sea turtle nesting season on our coastline.” The first known to lay eggs this season was a female leatherback turtle, which is one of the scarcer of the sea turtle species, weighing over a hundred pounds made its way onto Singer Island, Florida one evening last week.

While South Florida is such an awesome place to enjoy the fun in the sun, sand and surf, the beautiful pristine beaches are very essential nesting areas for our gentle sea turtles.

Please help protect the wildlife and coastal habitats and always remember:

• It is against the law to touch or disturb nesting sea turtles, hatchlings, or their nests. Sea turtles are protected by both the Federal Endangered Species Act and the Florida Marine Protection Act.
•  If you see an injured or dead sea turtle, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or *FWC from your cell phone.
• Avoid going to the beach at night… If you must be on the beach at night, limit your walking and do not use flashlights or flash photography.
• As South Florida has a lot of waterfront properties, please be cautious and turn off outside patio lights and shield indoor lights from shining directly onto the beach by closing the shades at night.
• While enjoying the beautiful beaches during the day, avoid disturbing marked sea turtle nests, and please take your trash with when you leave the beach.
• When crossing a dune, please use designated cross overs and walkways. Never climb over the dunes or disturb the dune vegetation, as this is the sea turtles home.

"We're excited that the last municipality now has an effective lighting ordinance," said Richard WhiteCloud, director of Sea Turtle Oversight Protection, a group that deploys an army of volunteers to watch nests and rescue wayward hatchlings. "With their lighting ordinance going into effect this year, we're happy nesting females will be seeing a darker beach. They could start to see an increase in nesting density, which would be good for them and good for the turtles."