Our friends at Turtle Time have updated the latest Fort Myers Beach turtle stats: There are now 46 remaining nests to hatch compared to last weeks 58. There have not been any additional false crawls to report so they remain at 144.
A false crawl happens when a female comes out of the water to nest but due to a disruption which can be an obstacle like a beach chair left out or noise, light etc she doesn’t find favorable conditions and returns to the water without laying her eggs.
Turtle Time started monitoring nesting activity in 1989. Given that it takes loggerhead sea turtles 30 to 50 years to reach maturity, perhaps the little turtles that hatched from those protected nests in 1989 are returning to their natal beach to perpetuate the life cycle.
From the Turtle Time team: “Please continue to close drapes, turn off or shield any light visible from the beach, use Amber LED light bulbs and fill in any holes dug in the sand that may entrap the little sea turtles. Turtle season runs until the end of October.”