The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol is celebrating a successful nesting season so far with nearly 850 hatchlings on local beaches, though the team has recommendations to ensure the baby sea turtles successfully make it to the Gulf.
- Jessica Valek, Natural Resources Manager, reports strong results from twelve nest evaluations completed so far this season. Of the 1,300 eggs discovered, 853 have successfully hatched – about a 66% success rate that reflects healthy nesting conditions.
“We’ve had some live hatchlings still in the nest and we’ve been able to release all of them,” Valek said. “We find them during the nest evaluation, and we make sure that they make their way safely out into the Gulf.”
When hatchlings are unable to make it safety to the water on their own, they are taken to the Gulfarium for care before being released.
The remaining 447 eggs didn’t hatch, including two complete nests that weren’t fertilized – a natural occurrence that doesn’t indicate environmental problems, and one that experienced inundation, standing water on top of the nest for a significant period of time.
- “My team has been absolutely awesome,” Valek said, praising turtle patrol volunteers who respond to calls, attend evaluations and help with community outreach. “I could not do it without them.”
Despite these positive developments, there are still ways the community can increase hatch success and ensure newly hatched sea turtles make it to the Gulf. Excess light or “light pollution” is a challenge that faces most nesting beaches around the region, according to Valek.
Excess white light adjacent to nesting beaches can result in disorientation, where the hatchlings follow artificial lights toward land instead of moonlight reflecting off the Gulf.
“There are many instances where we have pulled up to newly hatched nests first thing in the morning and seen a bunch of hatchling tracks headed to the dune,” Valek said. “We suspect a contributing factor may be artificial light.”
The problem extends beyond beachfront properties. Sky glow from buildings across roads and parking lot lights also confuses the tiny turtles navigating toward what should be their Gulf home.
- “Because of the potential role of light pollution in these disorientations, we cannot stress enough how important it is to reduce or eliminate lights that can be seen from the beach,” Valek said. “Closing curtains, shielding exterior lighting or turning off lights not in use can have a positive impact on reducing sea turtle hatchling disorientation.”
With roughly 100 eggs per nest and 20 nests on our local beaches, about 2,000 baby turtles represent this season’s potential. Only one out of 1,000 sea turtles typically survive to adulthood under natural conditions, according to Valek.
However, the county’s sea turtle awareness efforts are paying off in other ways. Valek says she’s seeing more beachgoers using red lights at night, indicating word is spreading naturally through the community and online.
- “People are more aware,” she said. “When they see our sea turtle team on the beach, we are getting tons of questions along with people telling us how they are turning off their lights and spreading the word to others, which is great!”
Property owners are also taking notice. Valek offers free consultations and educational materials to anyone wanting to make their lighting more turtle-friendly.
“If anyone is interested in learning more about how to improve the lighting around their property or community to make it more sea turtle friendly, I’m more than happy to do that,” she said. Those interested can email naturalresources@destinfwb.com for information or to request a meeting.
The Patrol Team recommends red turtle-friendly lights instead of white flashlights for anyone needing illumination on beaches at night. These lights are available for free at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Welcome and Adventure Centers.
- “I’m happy with the way the season is going,” Valek said. “I’m glad that we are raising awareness in our community.”
Several more nests have yet to hatch, though most are in private locations that won’t accommodate public viewing. The patrol continues monitoring all sites through the remainder of the season. They will announce any public viewing opportunities on their Facebook page.
All nest evaluations follow Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission guidelines and occur 72 hours after hatching or 70 days after no hatching activity. The patrol operates under FWC Marine Turtle Permit MTP-251 and doesn’t interfere with the natural incubation process. For turtle emergencies, call the patrol hotline at 850-461-2885.
One Response
I stayed with a friend who lived on the beach at Hilton Head. They actually have an ordinance that no light can escape from the homes from dusk to dawn. The homeowners can be fined. They had very thick curtains and were very careful about pulling them closed at night. This is so the baby turtles don’t get mixed up about which way to go.