As night temperatures get cooler there is a greater chance that sea turtle hatchlings can be found on Florida beaches. This is the time of year that baby sea turtles will dig themselves out of the sand from their nests one to two feet below the surface and brave the dangers of the nighttime beach as they dash for the waves. Turtles nest locally on beaches along St. George Island, Alligator Point, Little St. George Island and St. Vincent Island. The baby turtles face many dangers many of them man-made. The biggest dangers include predators like household pets, obstacles like beach furniture, and exterior lights that confuse the baby turtles in their search for the ocean. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking that beachfront communities around the state help hatchlings make it safely to the water by removing obstacles from the beach each night and by ensuring that exterior lights are not visible from the nesting beach. It’s also helpful to keep your dogs and cats indoors at night. If you are lucky enough to see sea turtle hatchlings on the beach at night, remember to turn off all lights and do not try to help the turtles to the water. If you find turtles on the beach in the daytime, however, or under a house or in a swimming pool then they likely do need your help. The best thing to do is to put the baby turtles in a bucket partially filled with sand. Make sure the bucket is covered with a towel to keep the turtles cool. Then call the Sea Turtles at Risk group to help release the hatchlings safely. You can reach them at 927-2103. You can also get a lot more information on hatchling sea turtles from their web-site at www.seaturtlesatrisk.org.
http://www.oysterradio.com
No comments:
Post a Comment