NEST UPDATES
2/11/22- Donation made to Sea Turtle Conservation
5/10/22 - Clearwater is reporting that the 1st nest has been spotted.
5/18/22- plaque has been placed on a sea turtle nest
6/24-22- Nesting season is in full swing and the Sea Turtle Conservation Program Team is busy! We have over 100 nests currently and have several months to go. Here in Pinellas County, we primarily observe loggerhead sea turtles with the occasional Kemp’s riley or green sea turtle. On average, female loggerheads can lay around 4-5 nests in a season and will usually do so in two-week intervals. They will deposit about 80-120 eggs in each nest where they will dig about a foot to a foot and a half deep in to the sand.
Always be cautious while on the beach at night because the presence of humans can deter them from continuing in the nesting process, and could even cause them to abandon their nesting attempt. If they abandon their nesting attempts too many times, they may release their eggs out in the water, where they will no longer be viable.
8/1/22~One of the non-human challenges that our nests face is the impact of predators. Mammalian predators, including coyotes and raccoons, are the ones most often seen within our survey area. They predate both the eggs the female sea turtles lay, and newly emerged hatchlings. Additional predators to both eggs and hatchlings can include non-mammalian predators such as ghost crabs, birds, and fire ants. You may notice a lot of the nests in our survey area have a metal cage located within the marked area; this is to help protect the eggs by preventing mammalian predators from digging into that nest site. Do not be alarmed though, the hatchlings can still escape through the cage and reach the water! By protecting a nest, you are helping us with the purchase of the materials we need to make these cages, and help with the survival of these threatened and endangered species.
NEW FLASH~ I received an email stating that our nest hatched
last night (7/31/22 10:30 p.m.)
This is the message I received :
"My family and I were able to lead roughly 40 to water prior to the turtle conservation ladies showing up. We used lights to guide them. They were scattered everywhere heading towards the condos. It was an incredible experience! "
Everyone here at Sea Turtles Cove Disney ears would like to send out a HUGE "thank you" to the family that helped these little guys and girls into the water.
Because of your support for our small business, we were able to help these babies along on their journey to the ocean.
Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts <3
~Doris~
