Sea Turtle related photos taken
at Perdido Key:
Turtle Tracks
Turtle Hatchlings |
Pensacola News Journal, August 24, 2008
Hatchling sea turtles need
help
from humans to survive
Alan Dennis
Ninety-one is a pretty big number, especially when you're counting sea
turtles. This number has been on my mind, as it represents the number of
turtles that hatched from a single nest on Perdido Key recently.
Sadly, they all perished.
In truth, the lives of the 91 babies ended almost as quickly as they
began. Because as they emerged from their nest their eyes focused on a
single stimulus ... light ... the stimulus that has directed turtle
behavior for thousands of years.
Regrettably, this light was not the natural light that guided their
ancestors. It was artificial, created by man, and, to a baby sea turtle,
indistinguishable from natural light. Instead of turning south to the
security of the water, the new hatchlings crawled north toward the
lights.
Must be there
In a matter of hours, confused and fatigued, their lives ended.
For several years I've participated as a turtle volunteer trying to help
prevent what happened on Saturday, Aug. 9. Volunteering actually comes
down to one event — being there the night baby sea turtles emerge from
their nest to prevent them from being disoriented by artificial
lighting.
Predicting this exact date is much like predicting the birth date for
any expectant mother. All we can reference is the date the mother turtle
crawled onto the beach to lay her eggs and add 60 days.
The rest is up to
nature.
Volunteers look and listen for several signs to indicate an impending
hatch. During daily inspections, they note the condition of the sand
around the nest and use stethoscopes to listen for activity.
Still, it's an
unpredictable science.
Unfortunately, Turtle Nest No. 1 on Perdido Key didn't show any hatching
signs on Aug. 9, and by 10 p.m. volunteers left, believing the nest
would be safe for another night. Several hours later, as we turned off
the Olympics and prepared for bed, 91 baby sea turtles emerged and began
aimlessly searching for the warm Gulf waters.
It was not an
isolated incident.
Light disorientation has been a major concern of turtle experts for
years. During the past two years I have participated in many turtle
hatchings. In nearly every instance, as the baby turtles emerged from
their nest, they have turned toward the artificial light of condos,
homes, businesses and parking lots rather than south to the Gulf.
Had volunteers not been there, nearly 2,000 turtles hatched during this
two-year period would have perished. In fact, on at least two occasions
nests were lost with no volunteers present.
Currently, there are seven remaining nests on Perdido Key, each holding
80-140 eggs. These nests will be hatching at various times until the
middle of October. Volunteers will continue to be there to ensure the
hatchlings' survival.
Things we can do
So what can we do? Everyone who lives on or near our beaches can help
with this important natural event by:
Turning off beach-side exterior lighting, or better yet, installing
wildlife-friendly bulbs and fixtures.
Closing beach-side window shades.
Supporting local initiatives to incorporate wildlife-friendly lighting
in residences, businesses and traffic areas.
Covering holes in the sand near turtle nests, and notifying authorities
of turtle activities.
Calling for carefully planned development in these sensitive areas.
Perdido Key is home to at least six listed endangered species, four of
which are sea turtles. It is important that federal protection laws be
recognized and enforced.
As Escambia County continues its push for the removal of the dwelling
cap on Perdido Key, environmental issues, specifically the protection of
Perdido Key's habitat for endangered species, will continue to be a
major concern.
What happened to Turtle Nest No. 1 is a strong argument for how serious
environmental issues have become — especially as they relate to
development in environmentally sensitive areas that are sanctuaries to
federally protected species.
Postscript:
On Monday, Aug. 18,
at 9:45 p.m., under a full moon and starlit sky Turtle Nest No. 2 on
Perdido Key hatched. With the cooperation of homeowners from Sandy Key
Condominiums and Parasol East, and with the assistance of turtle
volunteers and the Gulf Islands National Seashore park ranger, 99 baby
sea turtles found their way to the water.
Alan Dennis is a member of the Perdido Key Association board of
directors. This viewpoint is his personal opinion and not intended to
represent that of the association.
|
