Sea Turtle Nesting Season

Click here for info on Turtle Walks.
Click here to volunteer to be a Citizen Scientist.

Watch as a leatherback makes her way into the ocean

Sea Turtle Nesting Season (March - October) is underway on Greater Fort Lauderdale's beaches -- and these ancient mariners need all the help they can get. Nearly 90% of sea turtle nesting in the U.S. occurs in Florida. From March through October these creatures will return to their home beaches to lay eggs. Greater Fort Lauderdale's coastal residents and beach visitors can help sea turtles during the nesting season by keeping beaches clean, being aware of nesting sites and reducing artificial lighting near beaches that can distract and confuse mothers and hatchlings. Sea turtle hatchlings use light and reflections from the moon to find their way to the water at night. Artificial lighting discourages adult females from nesting on the beach. Click here for info on Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

Turtles deposit approximately 100 golf-ball size eggs, gently cover the eggs with sand and then they spread sand over a wide area to obscure the exact location of the chamber. They then leave the nest site and reenter the water.

Since adult sea turtles do not nurture their hatchlings, the female never sees the nest site again. A single female may nest several times during a season and then not nest again for one or two years. Approximately half of all emergences result in a female crawling on the beach for long distances and reentering the water without digging a nest. These are called "false crawls" and usually occur because the turtle was disturbed or it could not find a suitable nest site. The crawl tracks left on the beach are always made by female sea turtles and they resemble marks left by a tractor tire. Male sea turtles never leave the ocean.

Incubation of the nests takes about 45-55 days. Here in Broward County the eggs that are deposited in the chambers are either left to incubate naturally or are moved, (relocated) to a safer area of the beach. Some of the nests are relocated because of the extent of the development on our beaches and the bright lights from condos, streets, and highway traffic. The relocation process serves to protect the emerging hatchlings so they can exit the nest and traverse the beach to the water on their own. Nests that are not moved are those that are already on safe beaches.

After incubation, the hatchlings emerge from the nest en masse and, using various environmental and inherited cues, quickly migrate to the water's edge. If artificial lights are lighting the beach, the hatchlings will be disoriented, travel in the wrong direction, and possibly never make it to the water.

Once in the water the hatchlings swim directly out to sea, facing a perilous struggle to survive to adulthood. The best scientific estimates available indicate that only one in 1,000 hatchlings will survive (anywhere from 12-50 years) to become a reproductive adult sea turtle.

Turtles Walks
Museum of Discovery and Science
401 SW 2nd St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-713-0930
2012 Dates: June 5-7, 12-13, 19-20, 26-28; July 3, 5, 10-11, 17-19, 24
9pm to approximately 1am
$18 for member, $20 for non-members, reservations required.
The whole family can participate in an evening of discovery while uncovering the natural history and myths of sea turtles. Nature permitting, participants will have a chance to watch a 300 pound Loggerhead Sea Turtle venture out of the ocean to lay her eggs. A female Loggerhead Sea Turtle may travel thousands of miles to return to the original beach where she hatched, laying her own eggs as an adult.

At 9pm, the adventure begins with an informative hands-on session about turtles (land, fresh water and salt water) with an expanded focus on sea turtles at the museum. Guests will also meet "M.J." (picture to the left) the Museum's Ambassador Loggerhead sea turtle. Museum staff will provide answers to questions about nesting, threats and conservation before proceeding to the beach.

The adventure continues to Fort Lauderdale beach where Museum expert guides will lead guests to the sea turtle's nesting grounds to look for these amazing creatures. They cannot guarantee a sea turtle will be spotted on every walk but when it does happen it is a natural wonder that no one will ever forget.  Guests should be prepared to walk approximately one to two miles, and provide their own transportation and snacks.  Advance reservations are required as space is limited. 

Sea Turtle Awareness Program
John U. Lloyd Beach State Park 
6503 N. Ocean Dr., Dania Beach, 954-923-2833
Every Wednesday & Friday in June and July
9pm
Park Entrance Fee: single car occupant $4, two to eight in a car $6. No extra charge with park entrance fee. Reservations required.
Meet around a campfire at the Seagrape Pavilion and learn about the existence of sea turtles in the past, present and future. Participants will be greeted by a friendly Park Ranger and will be allowed to browse through an assortment of sea turtle displays. Informational brochures will also be available. Program includes a Ranger talk and a 20-minute presentation followed by a question and answer period. While the program is going on, a scout will set out in search of a nesting Loggerhead sea turtle. A beach walk may be conducted only in accordance with guidelines established by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Park Service.

Sea Turtles and Their Babies
Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park
751 Sheridan St., Hollywood, 954-357-5161
Every Wednesday & Friday starting July 4 through August 31, 2012
8pm-9:30pm
$7 per person, reservations required.
Following an hour-long slide presentation and lecture, participants can accompany a naturalist for a hatchling release to see what these tiny creatures face during their first crucial minutes of life. Participants will also learn how to identify each of the species of sea turtles found in South Florida, their habitat, breeding and nesting, identification of crawls and nests, conservation efforts, past exploitation and current management problems now facing sea turtles. 

5 Ways to Save Sea Turtles

Sea turtle nesting season is underway on Greater Fort Lauderdale's beaches -- and these ancient mariners need all the help they can get. Although nearly 90 percent of sea turtle nesting in the U.S. occurs in Florida, over the last decade nesting rates in the state have dropped more than 40 percent for the loggerhead turtle. From March through October these creatures will return to their home beaches to lay eggs. Greater Fort Lauderdale's coastal residents and beach visitors can help sea turtles during the nesting season by keeping beaches clean, being aware of nesting sites and reducing artificial lighting near beaches that can distract and confuse mothers and hatchlings and lead to their death. Click here for more information on how to save the sea turtles.

1. Turn Out Lights Visible From the Beach!
Sea turtle hatchlings use light and reflections from the moon to find their way to the water at night. Artificial lighting confuses the hatchlings and causes them to head inland instead of out to sea - putting them in dangerous situations which can lead to death. Artificial lights also discourage adult females from nesting on the beach. Short of turning off your lights, you can also take measures to shield, redirect and lower the intensity of the lights on your property.

2. Reduce the Amount of Garbage You Produce and Clean Up Trash You See On the Beach.
Sea turtles can become tangled in plastic and trash both on the shore and in the water. Discarded items such as fishing lines, balloons and plastic bags may also be confused for food and eaten by sea turtles, often resulting in injury or death.

3. Be Aware of Sea Turtle Nesting Areas and Avoid Nesting and Hatching Turtles.
Sea turtles are cute, and therefore tempting to touch and observe - but flashlights and people disturb turtles when they are nesting, or trying to nest, on the beach. Make sure to give nesting areas plenty of space, and do not disturb females as they emerge from the ocean looking for a place to nest. Also be conscious of where nesting areas are so that you can avoid trampling the hatchlings as they head to the water.

4. Reduce the Amount of Chemicals You Use.
The chemicals you use on your lawn and in your home can actually wash into the coastal waters - killing plants and animals. It is very important to properly dispose of toxic chemicals and, even better, find alternative products such as biodegradable solutions.

5. Volunteer!
There are countless ways in which you can make a positive difference in the lives of sea turtles. Organize a clean-up day with your friends and clear the beach of litter, give a presentation to your neighborhood or local school on things they can do to save sea turtles, and most importantly, talk to others about what they can do to make sure they are not putting these important creatures in danger. Click here for info on how to become a Citizen Scientist.