Endangered species spawn on Florida beaches

Hatchlings’ scramble to the ocean is rare sight

VSIESTA KEY, FLA. isit Siesta Key on Florida’s Gulf Coast this time of year and the scene will be exactly as you’d expect: a mixture of teens spring breaking on the famous silky, white sand and snowbirds combing the shores for shells. It’s a calming respite for many.

Soon enough, another annual visitor will show up, also seeking refuge. Once May rolls around, mama sea turtles will make their way to Sarasota County for nesting season. They arrive quietly in the wee hours, so chances are, you will never even notice them.

Still, it may come as a surprise that Sarasota County has the highest density of turtle nests on the Gulf Coast, with as many as 6,000 nests a year, while the east coast of Florida hosts as many as 40,000. Even more impressive, Florida’s beaches contain the largest aggregation of nesting loggerheads in the world.

Seeing hatchlings emerge from the nest is an amazing experience. The sand begins to move up and down like bubbles in a pot of boiling water. Tiny heads and flippers break the surface by the dozens and suddenly there are loads of babies bumbling about, each no bigger than a child’s palm. Within a few minutes to a few hours, one tenacious hatchling starts trucking it to the sea.

“You can’t even count them all as they pour from the nest and make their way to the ocean without a care in the world, just the instinct to follow the light,” says Kristen Mazzarella, a biologist with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

“They traverse over lots of obstacles, from seaweed to holes in the sand, and just keep going until they hit the water. It sometimes takes them a moment to realize that they need to switch to swimming, but after a few tosses by the waves, they swim out and have the whole ocean to explore.”

It’s something few get to witness. But Mazzarella’s odds are better than for the average beachgoer. For starters, during Sarasota County’s turtle nesting season she walks the beach five days a week, eyes peeled for turtle tracks. As senior biologist of Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program, part of her job is to monitor nesting turtles along the 35- mile coastline.

This may have you thinking, “Well, how do I score my own turtle time?” That can be tricky and it is crucial to follow the rules to avoid heavy fines and make sure the turtles are not disturbed.

“We do not encourage people to be on the beach at night due to the disturbance they can cause to mother turtles, nests and hatchlings,” Mazzarella says. “( Visitors) can accidentally startle a mother turtle they can’t see in the distance or disorient a hatchling with their cellphone.”

Instead, sign up for a turtle walk and tag along with a scientist. Longboat Key Turtle Watch is one such group. And there are others across the Sunshine State hosting public- permitted walks during the nesting and hatching season from May to October. Or go a step further and become a citizen scientist by applying for a marine turtle permit. If approved, you will help conduct nesting surveys and educational programs.

When it comes to turtle viewing, experts stress that you should never use lights on the beach at night, as they can disrupt nesting turtles and disorient hatchlings from making a beeline to the water. Any distractions could result in their getting plucked up by a predator or simply tire them out. All their energy needs to be used to get those tiny flippers to the sea so they can feed for the first time.

Sadly, only about one in 1,000 turtles make it to adulthood. Hatchlings, which emerge about two months after eggs are laid, are bite- size snacks for crabs, birds and fish. Other obstacles include debris, artificial lighting and oil spills they may encounter along the way.

Likewise, all five Florida species — green, leatherback, hawksbill, loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley turtles — are endangered or threatened. That means it’s illegal to harm, harass, or kill any sea turtles, their eggs or hatchlings.

“We share this world with them and should keep protecting them for our future generations to enjoy,” says Mazzarella.

H2O PICTURES A green sea turtle hatchling in Florida makes its way to the ocean for the first time.

OLIVIA RANEY, MOTE MARINE LABORATORY Green sea turtle hatchlings head for water after a stint at Mote’s Rehabilitation Hospital.

KATHY KLINGENSMITH , MOTE MARINE LABORATORY In a rare sight, a female loggerhead nests during the day. Loggerheads and other sea turtles usually nest at night.