Dead turtles near te beach

Julie and I witnessed a really sad thing today. At least two dozen dead baby turtles on St Croix, killed because they were going the wrong way towards a street light. We looked around for a while and found 1 alive, which we promptly brought to the ocean. Other people mentioned that they'd also found a couple that were still alive.

This beach is not really a protected turtle beach and normally when this happens people flock there to rescue the turtles. This just happened to coincide with St Paddies day, so I suppose a lot of people came to the beach later than normal.

St Croix does have some protected turtle beaches that you're not allowed to be on during hatching season.

Cor

Julie and I witnessed a really sad thing today. At least two dozen dead baby turtles on St Croix, killed because they were going the wrong way towards a street light. We looked around for a while and found 1 alive, which we promptly brought to the ocean. Other people mentioned that they'd also found a couple that were still alive.

 

This beach is not really a protected turtle beach and normally when this happens people flock there to rescue the turtles. This just happened to coincide with St Paddies day, so I suppose a lot of people came to the beach later than normal.

 

St Croix does have some protected turtle beaches that you're not allowed to be on during hatching season.

 

Cor

Cor,

Yes, this is very sad. Now what turtles are hatching in St Croix this early, leatherbacks??? Or do your greens/hawksbills hatch early there? Here on the West Coast of FL it is 97% loggerhead with an occasional kemp's ridley or hawksbill, maybe a green once every few years. We have leatherbacks swim through, but not nest on this side.

As sad as what you witnessed is I'm told it won't have much impact on the populations, that is unless it is out of most every nest, every year. Two years ago we lost almost 100% of our entire season's hatchlings due to red tide (hundreds of nests) and worse 100+ dead adult female turtles washed up in just one week...... It was heartbreaking. Worst red tide this far north in 100 years or so they said.

But still the scientists said it wouldn't effect the populations that much in the long run. I don't know how they can say that though?

We have to cage each and every one of our nests here because there are lights everywhere. Even though people and hotels are asked to turn them down from May to August, there is still too much street/housing/hotel light. We have a network of trained and certified volunteers all under turtle biologists, who nest sit and "uncage" the hatchlings when they emerge (usually in the early am hours....!) and make sure they follow a pathway to the water, not the road. (I think they call it NESTS now, Neighbors Ensuring Sea Turtle Survival). It is a good program, but lots of trained volunteers needed.

The hatchling you put back in the water will probably do well if that is the beach where he hatched, sounds like you put him in the water right near where you found him. This is the right thing to do as you probably know.

I hate to ask, but did you photograph the unfortunate ones? You are a great photographer Cor and I'm sure were busy trying to save them but if you did photograph it it could be a catalyst for some additional measures of protection.

Best, Carol

I've just spent a couple of weeks on the Southern Great Barrier Reef covering the turtle season here, the first time Ive done so for quite a few years now. It has been a huge season for Green Turtles here, most rookeries reporting at least double the average of females nesting, and subsequent abundance of hatchlings. Other species; loggers, flatbacks, have been average numbers here this year.

But with all that nesting activity comes some consequences...like on the very busy rookeries you find females bodypitting and digging up the eggs of previously laid nests. So big numbers of nesters doesn't always translate to high success rate of hatchlings.

But the predators are happy - gulls, the occassional reef heron, large fish includung baby reef sharks etc - gather as the clutches make their way to the water. One night I witnessed a whole clutch of 100+ hatchlings taken by a school of 20 or so young black tips, within 2 feet of making the water. Ouch.

....The hatchling you put back in the water will probably do well if that is the beach where he hatched, sounds like you put him in the water right near where you found him....

And here the thinking is that it's best to let them run a significant way down there birth beach to the water, not just move them from where they are to the water's edge. Same over your way Carol?

darren

And here the thinking is that it's best to let them run a significant way down there birth beach to the water, not just move them from where they are to the water's edge. Same over your way Carol?

 

darren

Absolutely, Darren. That is why we don't resort to hatcheries over here (but I think they do still have to use some hatcheries on the East Coast of Florida because of some poaching and other factors.)

Yes, when the cage is released (note: only by someone qualified and given the OK to do so as they are protected by law under the endangered species act), we usually dig a wide trench for the little ones so they don't scatter all over and towards the wrong light sources. They make the full trek down there to the water, get strong, imprint, etc.

But I suppose Cor's little turtle was waaaay to worn out already from his nightmare journey and the best thing to do in that case is walk him down to the nearby water and let him walk in.

Funny, we don't get too much predation of the hatchlings (at least that we see - but I'm sure our numerous sharks get their share too). The racoons will get the eggs and are the worst predators (thus the cages), dogs aren't allowed near the nests (again cages help) and fire ants unfortunately spell absolute doom when they are seen around a nest. But since 97% of our baby turtles are loggerheads, they almost always hatch at night or early am when the birds aren't active. The one time I saw a kemp's ridley nest hatch (arguably the most endangered sea turtle in the world - but I think it is tied with the leatherback), anyway the kemp's ridley hatches during the day and when

they hatched and made their run to the Gulf of Mexico the birds didn't even come near. The birds didn't even know what they were??? Kinda sad really cause the birds are so used to scavenging french fries etc from the tourist places that they didn't even recognize that they could come and eat the kemp's hatchlings...... But again kemp's don't regularly nest on our beaches, so the bird's might get used to seeing them if there were more.

I've never seen a flatback in the wild, I'd love to!!

Thanks, I LOVE to talk about turtles and I have hundreds of hours logged volunteering with them from "nest sitting" to assisting the vets with surgeries following injuries. (I almost like talking about turtles as much as I love to discuss manatee!!)

Carol

I'm not sure if its true; however, someone told me that the young turtles are attracted to the street lights. Sadly a simple ordinance to turn out the lights at night might have solved the problem.

I'm not sure if its true; however, someone told me that the young turtles are attracted to the street lights. Sadly a simple ordinance to turn out the lights at night might have solved the problem.

Gary there are guidelines to turn off the lights at night.

I don't think anyone can issue an "ordinance" as many people in their homes but mostly hotels will not turn off their lights for security reasons over the 4+ months of turtle nesting season. Sometimes better mercury vapor lights can be used - that aren't so bright, or blue or red lights, but still street lights must stay on.

It is not as much of a problem if the moon is full and the night is cloudless, turtle hatchlings will go towards the brightest light which should then be the moon (illuminating the water). But on cloudy or moonless nights they will most certainly go towards the streetlights on the road or near houses and hotels. Sometimes these lights even overpower the clear, full moon too.

It is a man-made problem that has different solutions, but unfortunately people like to look at the sea and like to have roads lighted at night so then other solutions must be incorporated. For us here on the heavily populated area here on the West Coast of Florida, caging the nests with chicken wire and patrolling the beaches nightly is the better solution.

Best, Carol