Listen to Them, the Creatures of the Night

March 15, 2022 – It’s that time of year once again when large creatures carefully hide eggs in the middle of the night, much to the delight of kids of all ages.  Of course we are talking about… sea turtle nesting season! What did you think?

There are only a few places in the world where these amazing sea creatures lumber ashore to dig nests and lay their eggs, and Brevard County is one of these places. The Canaveral National Seashore has been recording sea turtle activity since 1985, and the season there is generally active now through October.  A little south of Titusville, at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (Melbourne Beach to Wabasso Beach) the sands host more nesting loggerhead turtles than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere and the greatest number of green turtles in North America.

These big mommas love the shoreline at the Carr Refuge, and if you’re lucky you might be able to sign up for a tour given by experts—but don’t delay because these tours are popular.  You don’t want to go alone because you could accidentally do damage to a nest or confuse the animals with unwanted lights.  Many of the towns along the beach even aim their street lights away from the ocean so the turtles don’t mistake a light for the lunar luminance that they are expecting and wander in the wrong direction.

Check out this link  to learn more about the Friends of Carr and the walks that volunteers lead on late night visits to the reptilian maternity ward.

Canaveral National Seashore will start taking telephone reservations for turtle watch programs starting on May 15th. The number to call is (386) 428-3384 ext. 222 on the first day for reservations. Starting the 16^th use extension 0 (zero).  Get more info here.

Another group with a permit to guide groups is the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, out of Indialantic. Although there is never a guarantee that you will find a nesting sea turtle on a walk (this is nature after all, not a zoo), experts have a pretty good track record and know when to hit the beach.  To try to get a reservation with this group go here.

Here’s some advice from the Sea Turtle Grants Program on some things you can do to protect Sea Turtles:

• Participate in a local beach cleanup – this family-friendly activity helps beautify the beach while protecting sea turtles and other nearby marine inhabitants.
• Give sea turtles their space – sea turtles are on land for two important reasons: females nest and hatchlings make their way to the ocean. Do not disturb.
• Keep beaches dark – allow sea turtle hatchlings to follow natural light to reach the ocean.
• If you find a stranded of injured sea turtle, whale, dolphin or manatee in the State of Florida call 888-404-3922.

Here’s a video from 2015 where the mother turtle heads back to the ocean just a the sun is coming up.  Since these turtles have been doing about the same thing for millions of years, the video shouldn’t be too dated.

 

OK, now it’s up to you. Get out there and see the turtles then get out there and save the turtles. As creatures of the night go, they aren’t so bad.