Turtle Hatching - Sanibel Island

Sanibel, FL (95 degrees, blue skies, HOT)

A nest seen on the beach earlier in the season

One of our friends, France, volunteers with SCCF (Sanibel Captive Conservation Foundation) with the turtle patrol.  During sea turtle nesting season (May-October) over 120 volunteers monitor eighteen miles of Sanibel and Captiva daily identifying and evaluating nests and also monitoring hatches. Earlier in the season we had walked along the beaches checking out the roped off nests. Most of the nests are loggerhead turtles and the babies are now starting to hatch.  

Dan starting to dig out the sand very carefully

France invited us to watch a three day dig this morning.  This means a nest hatched three days ago and tracks were noted by a volunteer leading out to the ocean by the little hatchlings.   Two volunteers, Ann and Dan, arrived to dig up the nest and monitor it's condition.  Detailed records are kept of hatched and unhatched eggs. Sometimes hatchlings are still in the nest and confused by the whole process.  The volunteer will rescue any little turtles and put them in a bucket of sand and water.  This is covered and kept in a dark place until nighttime when the volunteer returns and releases the little ones from the same spot. This project could not exist without the dedication of these wonderful volunteers.  

The hole is very deep

A female loggerhead turtle came out to this area about 60 days ago at night and laid her eggs.  It's interesting to note this mother was born very near to this area too.  Loggerhead females swim around the the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean for 15-30 years before maturing and returning to nest.  They scoop out a large hole with their flippers and lay between 50-175 leathery ping pong ball size eggs. She can lay eggs several times during the season.  

Eggs and remnants are collected for sorting later

As of 8/2/13 there have been 471 nests noted and 75 hatches and counting  The volunteers also identify false crawls.  This is where the female comes up to the beach and starts to dig.  For some reason she decides not to lay her eggs and leaves.  It can be a challenge for a turtle patrol volunteer to determine whether is is actually nest or a false crawl.  There have been 558 identified this season. France is a volunteer who has had additional training and helps with this decision making.

A dig always draws an interested crowd (Ann is wearing the hat)

Today's nest held 58 total eggs.  Ten hatched and one died trying to get out of the egg.  The odds are even more difficult for the hatchlings.  Only one in a 1000 hatchlings lives to maturity.  Nature is tough!

Dan is sorting out the eggs

 Here are a few other interesting facts found on the SCCF website:

• Sea turtles live their entire lives in the ocean, except for the females when she come ashore to nest
• Adult loggerhead sea turtles can be more then three feet long and weight 250-400 pounds
• Female loggerheads come ashore at night to lay their nest
• Hatchlings emerge at night with the natural instinct to go to the brightest horizon.  On natural beaches this is the water reflecting the night sky 
• Sea turtles cannot reverse.  When nesting a female  encounters an obstacle (i.e. sand castles, lawn furniture) she can become entangled
• Hatchling loggerheads weigh one ounce and are two inches long

Sanderling

It was really amazing to watch this dig this morning.  We have learned so much about turtles from our friend France.  Being a turtle patrol volunteer is a great way to spend the summer in Sanibel. To play a  small part in a turtles life must be very rewarding.  

After the dig we went for a short walk on the beach.  It gets hot very quickly now on the beach.  We are sure hoping it cools off soon.  It was fun watching the shorebirds go back and forth along the shore being chased by the waves.