How Was This Turtle Nesting Season?

Turtle Watch Calls This Turtle Season a Hit...

It's being reported that this season has been a good year for turtles on Anna Maria Island. That’s according to Suxi Fox, who directs the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch Program.

“The hatch rate is way up, though the number of nests is about the same as last year,” Fox said. ‘I think that’s probably because we didn’t have any really bad weather – just a few heavy rain days.’

Fox said that when storms bring high surf, nests can wash out to sea, or the eggs can become saturated with saltwater.

“They can take a little wash over, but when the nest is covered in saltwater for a long time, or if it washes over and over and over the nest for a long time, the eggs won’t hatch,” she said.

The situation isn’t any better with rain that brings fresh water that submerges nests for a long time and drowns the hatchlings.

However, there really wasn’t much weather activity of that consequence this summer.

“The heavy rain on that Saturday earlier this month didn’t really affect the nests,” Fox said. “The nests that were still left on the beach were in higher, well drained areas, so the hatchlings were OK.”

There you have it,
a great year for the Turtles of Anna Maria Island!