Sad news for turtle nesting as loggerhead unable to find place to lay her eggs

[Walton Outdoors]

A South Walton Turtle Watch volunteer marked off with flags where loggerhead turtle attempted to nest.

Sad news for turtle nesting as loggerhead
unable to find place to lay her eggs

South Walton Turtle Watch volunteers continue to struggle to find turtle nest success in South Walton. These photos were taken by volunteers June 17. The above photo shows where a loggerhead turtle attempted to nest but was unable due to obstructions left on the beach. No one knows for sure why she gave up, but it appears the tracks spell out the message. The photo below shows the abundance of items left overnight along the beaches in Miramar Beach. Without a clear path to a nesting area beyond the high tide line, turtles will simply give up and go back to the Gulf. As of June 17, there has been 11 successful nests laid.

[sunspotbaby]

All the beaches should be made to follow the same guidelines as the State Parks. I'll bet they don't have this problem. This is a no-brainer to me.

[kathydwells]

This breaks my heart. If I was a Turtle Watch Volunteer, I would probably be in jail right now, because if I had come up on this and saw the false crawl, I would have snapped for sure, and all that SH!T that you see in those pictures would be nothing but scraps left by the TDC Trash Cans. Yes, people I would have taken the law into my own hands and I would have dealt with the consequences later. So there......

[Miss Kitty]

This breaks my heart. If I was a Turtle Watch Volunteer, I would probably be in jail right now, because if I had come up on this and saw the false crawl, I would have snapped for sure, and all that SH!T that you see in those pictures would be nothing but scraps left by the TDC Trash Cans. Yes, people I would have taken the law into my own hands and I would have dealt with the consequences later. So there......

I'd bail you out.

These pics make my blood boil.

[kkddbb]

Im sick of this ****! Im not for taking matters into my hands because it only causes chaos, but when it comes to this I do. And if the gov isnt going to than I will. Perhaps we should all get together and hit the beaches? And maybe we should all put a petition together and send it to our elected officials that are looking out for the tourist more than the local resident? Ill take a spin through grayton like i do daily only this evening Im going to make a few tents part of my bumper and I wont be apologetic about it. Tourists beware, the turtle army is coming..

[SHELLY]

There's no way that this could have been prevented...it's just something I've now come to accept will be the normal situation going forward.

.

[Lynnie]

I would move the items left to the trash area.
That's where it belongs.

[Dia]

I would move the items left to the trash area.
That's where it belongs.

Is this considered illegal? It's not destruction of property - just moving it. Anyone know?

[wrobert]

Is this considered illegal? It's not destruction of property - just moving it. Anyone know?

I doubt you would get a judge to sign a warrant for someone caught piling everything together in one place.

[Lynnie]

Nor would I wait until the next morning. The turtles nest and hatch by lunar cycles......moving the items the night before would offer more protection for the turtles. Not pitch dark, as I'm sure someone will bring this up, but perhaps just before dark. Not saying this is the right, wrong or indifferent way......just what I would do.

[salidaco]

Disgusting and sad. On a side note, we just went down the Ecofina on the canoe. Embarassing the amount of garbage floating and on the botom of that river. Makes me sad that people just do not get some "life basics". I would think that you would see that mess, be disgusted by it, not throw(or leave) your mess.

[maxman]

This should also be posted with local govt. section. This is totally "low rent"

A South Walton Turtle Watch volunteer marked off with flags where loggerhead turtle attempted to nest.

Sad news for turtle nesting as loggerhead
unable to find place to lay her eggs

South Walton Turtle Watch volunteers continue to struggle to find turtle nest success in South Walton. These photos were taken by volunteers June 17. The above photo show where a loggerhead turtle attempted to nest but was unable due to obstructions left on the beach. No one knows for sure why she gave up, but the appears the tracks spell out the message. The photo below shows the abundance of items left overnight along the beaches in Miramar Beach. Without a clear path to a nesting area beyond the high tide line, turtles will simply give up and go back to the Gulf. As of June 17, there has been 9 successful nests laid.

[wrobert]

This should also be posted with local govt. section. This is totally "low rent"

Yea but it is Miramar. Lean-to s selling food. Tattoo parlors. Everyone parking everywhere. The whole place looks worse than Panama City Beach on a bad day.

[ItzKatzTime]

Let's think positive....maybe this turtle was smarter then we give it credit for and decided to move to a spot that she felt was more secure for their safety.

No that does not make it right...but positive thoughts help more then negative ones. Even if we change our perspective about those who leave their garbage behind. When you get angry with another the sword you are holding turns and it is you that it is facing.

"Would you rather be right or happy?"
~A Course in Miracles

The fight to be right is so much harder then choosing happiness.

[wrobert]

Let's think positive....maybe this turtle was smarter then we give it credit for and decided to move to a spot that she felt was more secure for their safety.

No that does not make it right...but positive thoughts help more then negative ones. Even if we change our perspective about those who leave their garbage behind. When you get angry with another the sword you are holding turns and it is you that it is facing.

"Would you rather be right or happy?"
~A Course in Miracles

The fight to be right is so much harder then choosing happiness.

She probably thought she was still too far east and went back looking for the sowal beaches we use to have.

[scooterbug44]

Let's think positive....maybe this turtle was smarter then we give it credit for and decided to move to a spot that she felt was more secure for their safety.

No that does not make it right...but positive thoughts help more then negative ones. Even if we change our perspective about those who leave their garbage behind. When you get angry with another the sword you are holding turns and it is you that it is facing.

"Would you rather be right or happy?"
~A Course in Miracles

The fight to be right is so much harder then choosing happiness.

I'd rather be sitting on a beach that isn't so full of crap an endangered species can't lay their eggs there.

It's not asking too much - many visitors and locals manage to pick up after themselves.

[wrobert]

I'd rather be sitting on a beach that isn't so full of crap an endangered species can't lay their eggs there.

It's not asking too much - many visitors and locals manage to pick up after themselves.

The pictures were really amazing. I had no idea it was that bad down there. I never left my stuff on the beach unless I was sleeping in it.

[Walton Outdoors]

[30A Skunkape]

After doing some research on Federal protections loggerheads enjoy, it seems to me that the majority of the conservation effort has been aimed at fisheries regulation. Does anyone with more knowledge on the topic know if there are regulations regarding unintentional beach harassment (obviously, it is illegal to intentionally disturb the turtles)? It seems to me that the armoring of the beach with crap that forces the turtles away is analogous to leaving a drifting gill net out in the ocean. If there were penalties for 'property owners' who passively molest the turtles with crap there might be motivation on the part of the lazy masses to remove their stuff at night.

[Bobby J]

So..... The public beach part would make the actual people that leave their stuff liable and the supposed "private beach" (BTW, there is no such a thing ) area would make the actual homeowner and renter liable? Hmmmmmm...

[30A Skunkape]

So..... The public beach part would make the actual people that leave their stuff liable and the supposed "private beach" (BTW, there is no such a thing ) area would make the actual homeowner and renter liable? Hmmmmmm...

That is what I am talking about. Wouldn't it be a hoot to see the same people who crow that they own the beach try to explain how they are not responsible for crap on 'their' property.

[ASH]

After doing some research on Federal protections loggerheads enjoy, it seems to me that the majority of the conservation effort has been aimed at fisheries regulation. Does anyone with more knowledge on the topic know if there are regulations regarding unintentional beach harassment (obviously, it is illegal to intentionally disturb the turtles)? It seems to me that the armoring of the beach with crap that forces the turtles away is analogous to leaving a drifting gill net out in the ocean. If there were penalties for 'property owners' who passively molest the turtles with crap there might be motivation on the part of the lazy masses to remove their stuff at night.

I am aware that several people have been sued in an attempt to get them to remove armoring and geotubes. I don't know the language though. One of the false crawls this year was directly related to a geotube that is nearly exposed. The turtle tried to dig a nest and got stopped when it hit the geotube. The turtle gave up and headed back to the water.

[Walton Outdoors]

After doing some research on Federal protections loggerheads enjoy, it seems to me that the majority of the conservation effort has been aimed at fisheries regulation. Does anyone with more knowledge on the topic know if there are regulations regarding unintentional beach harassment (obviously, it is illegal to intentionally disturb the turtles)? It seems to me that the armoring of the beach with crap that forces the turtles away is analogous to leaving a drifting gill net out in the ocean. If there were penalties for 'property owners' who passively molest the turtles with crap there might be motivation on the part of the lazy masses to remove their stuff at night.

Sea turtles are either endangered or threatened (the loggerhead is the only species that has a population high enough to be only threatened in Florida). They are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 and Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act (379.2431, Florida Statutes).

Florida Statutes (F.A.C. Rule 68E-1)(64Kb) restrict the take, possession, disturbance, mutilation, destruction, selling, transference, molestation, and harassment of marine turtles, nests or eggs. Protection is also afforded to marine turtle habitat. A specific authorization from Commission staff is required to conduct scientific, conservation, or educational activities that directly involve marine turtles in or collected from Florida, their nests, hatchlings or parts thereof, regardless of applicant's possession of any federal permit.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) dually review permits for coastal construction under Chapter 62B, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). that affects Marine Turtles.

[Bobby J]

That is what I am talking about. Wouldn't it be a hoot to see the same people who crow that they own the beach try to explain how they are not responsible for crap on 'their' property.

That's what I have talking about all along. The so called "private beach" is the perfect setting for huge liability. I am surprised they would want it.

[ItzKatzTime]

How about NO TENTS!...or signs that say anyone who leaves their mess on the beach will be fined $500.00 Money talks!!!!