Turtle Nesting Season Faces Challenges After Storms

Sea turtle nesting season is officially underway. The official start date was actually earlier this month, beginning on March 1, and if you aren’t familiar with the season, it actually lasts for quite a while, officially ending on October 31. With tons of different turtle species doing not so hot on the endangered or threatened lists, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has plenty of measures in place to protect the turtle folk.

First, local ordinances state construction cannot go down on beaches during the nesting season and lighting is restricted—which means no flash cameras or outdoor lights, sources that can confuse recently hatched turtles and make them wander away from the ocean. Additionally, the government asks coastal cities and those with the luxury of private beach front property to take a step back and remove any chairs or other objects that may keep the turtles away from their nesting destination. According to Florida Today, the turtles range from the threatened loggerhead species to the endangered green sea turtle and leatherback turtle. With this in mind, even small measures can make a big difference.

Florida is by no means the only place where turtle nesting is protected in one way or another, but this year there could be a strain in Florida during the nesting season, thanks to the havoc wreaked by storms like Hurricane Sandy and Tropical Storm Debby. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission turtle manager Robbin Trindell says the two storms altered beaches and may have to lead to a change-up of nesting destinations for the various varieties of sea turtles, which can be difficult. Hopefully, all will end well for the sea turtle population.

Photo Credit@Shutterstock/Karen Grigoryan