This morning just after sunrise, a small crowd gathered around an oddly shaped mound near the dune.
We all watched as Samantha from Ecological Services carefully roped off the mound and recorded the site information in her logbook. She’s part of a dedicated team hired by the county to protect and research sea turtles on the Treasure Coast. They cruise the beach each morning on their ATVs, looking for nests. Lastnight, mama turtle crawled from the ocean and chose our beach at Shuckers as the nesting site for her little eggs. aah so adorable!
Here in South Florida, sea turtles are a protected species; consequences for disrupting turtles or turtle nests can carry a million dollar fine and a year in jail. We talked with Samantha for a few minutes and asked her what message she has for beachgoers who stumble upon a nest.
“We’re so lucky to live in the sea turtle’s natural habitat. We want people to know that if trash or chairs are left on the beach at night, the turtles’ natural nesting instincts are thrown off. Folks should also avoid lights and even flashlights on the beach past dusk. Not only do shore lights discourage females from nesting, but they can cause hatchlings to become disoriented and wander inland.”
We asked Samantha what beachgoers should do if they happen upon a turtle or nest. She said that we should admire from afar and refrain from impacting the turtles in any way.
We locals have a special place in our hearts for sea turtles (…and dolphins, manatees, and sometimes even pelicans too). At Shuckers and Island Beach Resort, we’ve always used special lighting that emits a very narrow portion of the visible light spectrum. We notify all resort guests that April through November is turtle season. And we inform visitors of the Do’s and Don’ts of responsible beach living.
Next time you’re at our beach, you might see three sticks with tape around them. That means someone like Samantha has located and tagged a sea turtle nest. You may not approach the nest, but feel free to enjoy it from afar and know that sometime soon, hundreds of teeny tiny hatchlings will emerge from the sand and find refuge in the Atlantic Ocean. 
If you visit Hutchinson Island and want to learn more about our local wildlife, head over to the Florida Oceanographic Society, a 57-acre marine life nature center with guided nature trails, stingray feeding program, touch tanks, aquariums, 750,000-gallon gamefish lagoon. This is not a sponsored post.
