Turtle Talk
By Robert S Weinroth
Sea turtle nesting season officially starts in March. Within the next few months, over 2 million hatchlings are expected to emerge from approximately 30,000 nests on beaches countywide. The process starts when female sea turtles crawl ashore at night to lay their eggs. It usually takes about one to three hours for the turtles to dig the nest and lay between 80 to 120 eggs (shaped like ping pong balls).
Nests are located approximately 18 inches below the surface, and are typically located above the hide-tide area on the dry beach area. Eggs and nests must remain undisturbed in the warm sand for the 47 to 60 days before they hatch. The majority of the hatching occurs between July through September. Hatchlings usually emerge from their nests as a group at night. After digging out, the hatchlings crawl along the beach to the water where they must swim for many hours to reach the open sea.
Unfortunately, thousands of hatchlings die every year in their attempt to reach the water. Instinctively, newly hatched sea turtles follow the natural light reflected on the water by the moon and waves. However, they become disoriented by artificial light from homes, businesses, street lights and cars, and crawl in the wrong direction. Consequently, they die from exhaustion, dehydration, predators and debris.
Here are some simple tips to help protect sea turtles:
Sea turtle facts:
Supervised sea turtle walks are available at locations throughout Palm Beach County such as Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. For more information on sea turtles and walks, visit http://discover.pbcgov.org/erm/Publications/SeaTurtleWalks.