Sick Of Beach Chair Vendors in South Walton

[beachbarnacle]

South Walton Turtle Watch is experiencing a banner year with a total of 90 turtle nests so far this season, almost to the record of 98.

“And it’s only mid-July!” exclaimed Turtle Watch Head Sharon Maxwell in delight.

However, even with a banner year, she is exasperated because in addition to the 90 nests, she has recorded 63 false crawls.

A false crawl is when a sea turtle comes ashore to nest and can’t because of people, lights or an object left in her path that prevent her nesting.

Maxwell said South Walton had a rare green sea turtle come ashore to nest, but did not for those reasons, logging a false crawl. The next night, Panama City Beach Turtle Watch reported they had a green nest.

“We really are sharing the beach with sea turtles and people are harassing them on the beach when they (come) ashore to nest,” she said.

The stories of sightings of these incidents are mostly told to volunteer turtle watch walkers the morning following incidents.

“We have been trying forever to educate people. We have done everything we can think of. We started the Friends of Turtle Watch who are taking information to rental places and talking to the public, but to no avail,” said Maxwell. “People feel they have the right to touch and shine a light on turtles.”

However, harassing a sea turtle, shining a white light on them, touching or keeping them from nesting when they come ashore is against the law.

I've looked at the Seagrove sky beach cam at night and saw hundreds of flashlights up and down the beach. I invite you all to look for yourselves.

 

[beachbarnacle]

This is very disturbing. If this is happening, we need the appropriate law enforcement agency (FWC?) do be more involved here.

It speaks volumes when a Green Sea Turtle chooses PCB over SoWal to lay eggs...

Even worse, i heard that Kemp's Ridley often come ashore during the day to nest. They are very endangered. One came up at daylight and nested at topsail hill park.

 

[Kaydence]

This was reported today by Tampa Bay News

www.fox13news.com/news/florida-news/262623810-story


Turtle probably came ashore to nest and became disoriented because of white lights as well.

 

[Kaydence]

I've looked at the Seagrove sky beach cam at night and saw hundreds of flashlights up and down the beach. I invite you all to look for yourselves.

The people who torment them need to be horse whipped!

 

[bob bob]

The people who torment them need to be horse whipped!

So people who harm turtles should be whipped like a horse?

 

[FloridaBeachBum]

I've looked at the Seagrove sky beach cam at night and saw hundreds of flashlights up and down the beach. I invite you all to look for yourselves.

Copied this from another thread but think the MILLION$ wasted annually on the TDC marketing should be spent on this instead.

Walton could see all the beach in real time and should take a page from the military concept of “constant stare”. Have 180 deg day/night IR cameras every half mile (52 locations?) or whatever it takes to cover the 26 miles on 50 foot or however high towers on the right of way or public accesses that fed video back to a command post monitored and recorded 24/7/365 by one or two people with software to ID dogs, people too far out in the water, sand pits, fireworks, turtles, outline public and private property boundaries, etc. A faction of the employees and cost needed to do a better job, keeps Walton vehicles off private property unless needed, and on the road for quicker response. Provide public wifi service for a fee to help pay for it. Put the video on the internet like Seagrove Beach SkyCam Live Webcam - Seagrove Beach SkyCam | SoWal.com. For much less [than multiple tax payer paid customary-use lawsuits, a surplus helicopter and pilots ($500/hour?)], or an army of code enforcement (at what $40K with benefits a year each?) you could have “constant stare”.

Jenksy we know your position, but what are you and your friends afraid of? There are the 14 SoWal public beach cams and likely already hundreds of private cams pointed at the beach now so why not the authorities who enforce the law?

 

[steel1man]

Copied this from another thread but think the MILLION$ wasted annually on the TDC marketing should be spent on this instead.

Walton could see all the beach in real time and should take a page from the military concept of “constant stare”. Have 180 deg day/night IR cameras every half mile (52 locations?) or whatever it takes to cover the 26 miles on 50 foot or however high towers on the right of way or public accesses that fed video back to a command post monitored and recorded 24/7/365 by one or two people with software to ID dogs, people too far out in the water, sand pits, fireworks, turtles, outline public and private property boundaries, etc. A faction of the employees and cost needed to do a better job, keeps Walton vehicles off private property unless needed, and on the road for quicker response. Provide public wifi service for a fee to help pay for it. Put the video on the internet like Seagrove Beach SkyCam Live Webcam - Seagrove Beach SkyCam | SoWal.com. For much less [than multiple tax payer paid customary-use lawsuits, a surplus helicopter and pilots ($500/hour?)], or an army of code enforcement (at what $40K with benefits a year each?) you could have “constant stare”.

Jenksy we know your position, but what are you and your friends afraid of? There are the 14 SoWal public beach cams and likely already hundreds of private cams pointed at the beach now so why not the authorities who enforce the law?

Florida Beach Bum, Sign me up!!!brillant find!!!
BMB is ALL-IN

 

[gumby]

Put up cameras along ours beaches and some freak`n touron will try and sue the county for invasion of their privacy. Don`t forget, we all live in a sue happy world these days.

 

[John G]

The tidal pools have really bisected the beach around Ed Walline and Dune Allen (I'm sure elsewhere too).

It was interesting to see that this really effected the vendors as they had half as many set ups out during a busy July Week. Wonder Why?

Perhaps because they were "ghost" set ups?

Also, just some feedback from talking to several groups of tourists from Ohio, they had / have no idea about the tent size restrictions or any other beach issues. They were very pleasant to speak to and educate. I'll send the TDC a W9 Form....

 

[FloridaBeachBum]

Put up cameras along ours beaches and some freak`n touron will try and sue the county for invasion of their privacy. Don`t forget, we all live in a sue happy world these days.

Agree but there are 14 SoWal beachcams now and hundreds of private cams. There is no expectation of privacy on the beach, just like on the 30A bike path, and anyone can take photo/video of the beach. Video of private property could be an issue because there is an expectation of privacy. Can blackout video of private property, and unblack it with probable cause. Property owners and guests could opted in or out of video. I wouldn't mind WCSO keeping a video eye on my property if vacant.