Help Sea Turtles With A Little Common Sense...
We all love to see the sea turtles, but we really do need to use common sense when we come face to face with one.
Humans are the greatest liability to the survival and well being of all species of sea turtles. So when coming across a female during nesting season, or a new born hatchling... its important that we maintain proper etiquette.
Beach Etiquette & How You Can Help Sea Turtles... by Turtle Watch
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If you find a live hatchling on the shore call AMITW @ 778 5638.
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Minimize beachfront lighting visible from the beach.
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Do not approach an adult turtle coming out of the water to nest. You may startle her and she may return to the water without nesting.
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Do not position yourself in front of a nesting female. This action may cause her to abort her nesting attempt.
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Avoid using flashlights or flash cameras. Lights disrupt or disorient nesting turtles and emerging hatchlings.
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Watch for and avoid hatchlings emerging from a nest. They are small and easily stepped on in the dark.
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Do not drive any unauthorized vehicles on the beach at night.
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Fill in holes in the sand on the beach after your day of fun.
What To Do If You find a Sea Turtle Hatchling
Do not put it in water or air conditioning and do not remove it from the beach.
Instead, put it in a container on damp sand with no water. Cover the container with a cloth and call one of the numbers listed below.
What To Do If You Find An Exposed Sea Turtle Nest
If you find an exposed Sea Turtle nest, do not attempt to collect the eggs yourself. Instead, call one of the agencies listed below. Also call and report dead or injured sea turtles.
Call the AMITW Stranding Team at 941-778-5638 or cell - 232-1405. You can also call the FFWCC on their toll free line at 800-342-5367.
If you find anyone harassing a sea turtle or disturbing a nest, immediately call any Anna Maria Island law enforcement agency or the National Marine Fisheries Service at 321-269-0004.
Sea Turtles Are At Risk
Nesting sea turtles depend on dark, quiet beaches to reproduce successfully. Today these turtles are endangered, in part because they must compete with tourists, businesses and coastal residents to use the beach. Man-made, coastal development results in artificial lighting on the beach that discourages female sea turtles from nesting and can disorient hatchlings causing them to wander away from the beach where they often die of dehydration, predation and even being run over.
What Can We Do To Help The Sea Turtles?
Us humans are the main threat to the sea turtle, so its only right we do what we can to help.
The very least we can do to help sea turtles survive is to pick up litter whenever we see it on the beach. We can also fill in holes, and never leave furniture or debris laying on the beach.
Adopt a turtle through www.islandturtles.com to help raise awareness of the plight of the sea turtle population.
Turtles can be adversely affected by unnatural light. So its a good idea to tint windows that face the beach, close opaque curtains or blinds after dark to cover windows visible from the beach, turn off lights visible on nesting beaches or shield the lights from the beach, and use "Turtle Safe Lighting".
Turtle safe lights emit a very narrow portion of the visible light spectrum, which is less intrusive to nesting sea turtles and hatchlings.
If disoriented hatchlings are found away from the sea, call local law enforcement at once.
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