South Walton Turtle Watch Updates 2021

[Teresa]

Thanks to South Walton Turtle Watch 2021 team for preparing to protect and assist our sea turtles throughout another exciting season!

Sea Turtle nesting season in South Walton Florida is May 1st through Oct 31st each year.

One of the most extraordinary things about South Walton beaches are the sea turtles that nest here. They need our help and protection to survive.

South Walton Turtle Watch is a group of volunteers whose purpose is to locate sea turtle nests and protect them during the crucial nesting and hatching season. By law, only certified members are allowed to interact with the endangered sea turtles...



South Walton Turtle Watch message April 17, 2021

14 more days until sea turtle nesting season begins in Walton county and all over our beaches in Florida, GA, AL, SC and even NC.

YOU CAN HELP SAVE OUR ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES. Just remember #cleandarkflat.

1. Keep the beach clean at the end of the day. Take all your things off the beach. Please don't leave anything at the toe of the dune where sea turtles like to nest.

2. Keep the beaches dark. Sea turtles nest in the dark. Our manmade lights are distracting and will disorient sea turtles. Turn off your flashlights, cell phone lights, porch lights and pull your curtains if your house faces the beach.

3. Fill in all holes before you leave the beach. If you dig it, fill it. This is not only a safety issue for sea turtles, but humans as well. Sand caves in fast. The water here on our gulf coast doesn't wash holes to fill them in at night.

We all can make a difference if we each take care of our own side of the street. Be responsible for your gear, holes and lights and that would make a giant difference for the conservation in our world. Ripples go a long way! Thank you for all you do!

Follow South Walton Turtle Watch on Facebook for updates from the team throughout the season:

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[Teresa]

South Walton Turtle Watch

Sea turtle nesting season 2021 begins May 1st!

We've been training and getting all the necessary gear ready for the girls!

Remember to help our nesting turtles by preparing a safe habitat for them to deposit their eggs!

CLEAN: Pick up all furniture, toys, tents, trash, etc. at the end of your day.

DARK: Turn off all beach front lighting, close drapes, hunt for crabs with red lights instead of white.

FLAT: Fill in holes and knock down sand castles so turtles (or people) don't fall in.

Never pick up or handle turtles or push them or other marine animals back into the water. They are protected by law. Call your local turtle watch experts who have proper training and permits to respond to them, or call FWC to report harassment or nest vandalism.

SWTW Sea Turtle Hotline: 850-865-4503
Walton County Sheriff: 850-892-8111
FWC: *FWC or #FWC from cell phone.

#CleanDarkFlat

 

[Teresa]

Sea Turtle Conservancy
Wednesday June 16

HAPPY WORLD SEA TURTLE DAY!

World Sea Turtle Day is celebrated on June 16th because it's the birthdate of Dr. Archie Carr, the father of sea turtle conservation and the founder of the Sea Turtle Conservancy!

Through his research, teaching and writing, Dr. Carr is responsible for accumulating and distributing much of what is known about the biology and life cycle of sea turtles.

He is credited by many for bringing the first international attention to the plight of marine turtles. Please join us in honoring Dr. Carr and celebrating our favorite animals, today and every day!

 

[Teresa]

Turtle watch group shares tips on how to protect nesting sea turtles​

by: Jenna Maddox
Jun 18, 2021

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — It is sea turtle nesting season on the Gulf coast, and many people— tourists and locals alike— aren’t aware of some of the safety practices to keep sea turtles thriving during this time.

Turtle watch groups across the Panhandle are educating beachgoers about how to keep conditions favorable for nesting turtles.

Barb Van Stavern with the South Walton Turtle Watch wants to inform visitors to keep beaches clean, dark and flat.

“Picking up all your belongings so they don’t become obstacles to sea turtles is really important,” Van Stavern said. “Turning off those lights on buildings at night and using red lights only if you’re out on the beach at night… Filling in those holes, keeping those turtles from falling in and keeping people safe as well.”

Tips to make sure you are fully prepared for hurricane season
Some people hunt for crabs on the beach at night, and oftentimes use regular flashlights.

Van Stavern said these lights could distract sea turtles that are actively nesting, or blind the unhatched turtles still in their eggs.

“They need nice dark beaches so that they can safely find their way back to the water. Artificial light is very disorienting so if you’re out at the beaches hunting at night for crabs, using red lights will be helpful,” Van Stavern said. “Turning off all those beachfront lights on condos and buildings is very good too, so amber or red lights are really best for sea turtles.”

Jason Cutshaw with Visit South Walton said the visitor center offers guests special flashlights and red light filter stickers to put over regular flashlights suitable for safe crab hunting.

Van Stavern would like to remind beachgoers if you see a stranded or deceased sea turtle, call the Turtle Watch Hotline at (850) 865-4503 before taking any other action.

Turtle watch group shares tips on how to protect nesting sea turtles

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — It is sea turtle nesting season on the Gulf coast, and many people— tourists and locals alike— aren’t aware of some of the safety practices to keep sea turtles th…

www.mypanhandle.com

 

[Teresa]

SWTW Update
Friday July 23 2021

SWTWG now has 36 NESTS & 30 FALSE CRAWLS…one #greenseaturtle nest and the rest #loggerhead.

Please remember to #leavenotrace and keep our beaches #cleandarkflat so that it’s safe for all!! #thankyou

 

[Beachlover2]

Now up to 42!!!!

 

[Teresa]

Sea turtles are hatching on Florida beaches; keep them safe with these tips from FWC

Sea turtles lay eggs in nests on Florida beaches beginning in the spring and throughout the summer, and now the baby turtles are hatching! The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) asks the public to help these tiny turtles stay safe with the following tips.

During sea turtle nesting season (March 1-Oct. 31), it is important to keep your distance from sea turtles and their nests on the beach. Sea turtles are protected, so you should allow hatchlings to crawl toward the ocean on their own. Any interference or disturbance, including getting too close, can cause hatchlings to become confused and lose their way. The trek to the water from the nest is part of the process that helps them orient themselves to their surroundings and for females to remember their home beach.

Bright lights from buildings, cellphones or cameras can cause them to become disoriented, leading the hatchlings to stray away from the shoreline where they need to swim and start their life. If they are unable to reach the ocean quickly, they can become dehydrated and exhausted, making them an easy meal for predators.

“Interfering with a sea turtle hatchling’s trek to the ocean can have fatal consequences,” said FWC sea turtle biologist Dr. Robbin Trindell. “It’s very important to leave them undisturbed. By keeping beaches dark, beachfront buildings dark and giving sea turtles space, we can make sure that our children and grandchildren can also enjoy watching them make this amazing journey.”

Did you know you can make a difference for Florida’s sea turtles? Follow these tips and share them with your community:

• Keep beaches dark. After sundown, turn off any lights not necessary for human safety. Use long wavelength amber LED lamps for lights that must stay lit and shield lights, so they are not visible from the beach. Remember to close shades or curtains at night.
• No flash photos. On the beach at night, don’t take flash photos or use bright cellphones or flashlights. This can cause turtles to become disoriented and crawl away from the ocean, putting them at risk.
• Remember, sea turtles are protected by law. Keep your distance and give sea turtles space if you see one on the beach. Never touch a nesting turtle because it might leave the beach without nesting if disturbed.
• Clear the way at the end of the day. Beach furniture, boats, toys and trash left behind on the sand can become obstacles that block crawling sea turtles. Fill in any holes dug in the sand. Holes can trap turtles and they also pose a safety risk to humans.

Please report sea turtles that are sick, injured, dead, entangled or are in danger to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-3922 so trained responders can help.

Learn more about Florida’s sea turtles at MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle. Show your support for sea turtle conservation with a specialty license plate or sea turtle decal. The funds from the sale of these decals and license plates go directly to sea turtle research and conservation.

 

[Teresa]

Did you know? When baby sea turtles hatch, they instinctively run for the bright horizon offshore. But bright lights from roads, buildings and even flashlights can confuse hatchlings, causing them to run in the wrong direction. You can prevent this by using a red filter on your flashlight when you’re on the beach at night, and turning off any lights that face the ocean.

Photo by Ben Hicks Fine Art


Ocean Conservancy Blog:

7 Ways Baby Sea Turtles Inspire Us to Live Life Bigger​

Hatchlings may be tiny, but the value of the lessons they teach us are not at all small​

7 Ways Baby Sea Turtles Inspire Us to Live Life Bigger - Ocean Conservancy

Hatchlings may be tiny, but the value of the lessons they teach us are not at all small

ow.ly

 

[Teresa]

South Walton Turtle Watch
End of season report
Monday Oct 25 2021

That’s a wrap!! It’s official, our last incubating nest has been excavated. While we certainly made the most out of a tough year, the numbers are much lower than we had hoped for.

2021 SWTWG Nesting Season

48 Nests
(46 #loggerhead & 2 #greenseaturtle nests)
3 Named Storm tides directly affected our nests
13 Complete Washouts (Losses)
4 Partial Losses (Some eggs recovered)
624 hatchlings successfully escaped

Disheartening numbers yes, but not a complete loss of a season. We want to thank all of our amazing, dedicated volunteers for all their hard work this year. Also a big shout out to our county partners TDC, SWFD, Beach Ops & Code Compliance for all of your assistance and support. And of course ALL OF YOU for keeping our beaches #cleandarkflat

A little bit of sleep and then the preparation for 2022 season commences

FWC MTP-21-120