

Close your curtains and be mindful of bright lights shining on the beach. Turn out unnecessary beach lights to help prevent disorientation of female sea turtles and hatchlings.

They crawl toward that light wasting precious energy they need to reach the ocean. The reflection of the moon and stars over the water usually creates the brightest horizon, but on developed beaches, lots of artificial light (street lights, exterior/interior lights on homes, decorative lighting, etc.) confuse the turtle and cause them to think that those sources of light are where the water is. Under natural conditions, hatchlings and adult use brightness to guide them to the water from the beach.In 2021, 281 nests were observed yielding over 8,000 sea turtle hatchlings. How many nests were reported during the 2021 nesting season? To the county, we also include weekly escarpment surveys and lighting surveys. To FWC, we report nests, false crawls, disorientation events, obstruction events, predation and vandalism. We report our annual nesting data to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Pinellas County. What does the sea turtle nesting team report? Primarily, we encounter loggerheads nesting on our beaches but on rare occasions have encountered Kemp’s ridleys or green sea turtles. Generally, we find our first nest of the season in early to mid-May and the females will continue nesting until the middle of August. After a nest has hatched we wait at least 72 hours then excavate the nest and do an inventory of its contents to determine hatching success. Hatching activity is identified by tracks emerging from the nest sites. Loggerhead incubation time is about two months. We primarily observe loggerhead sea turtle nesting activity in Pinellas County. We mark the nests and collect various measurements from the nest site in order to properly monitor it throughout the season. Once tracks are located, we determine whether there is a nest present or if it was a non-nesting emergence, AKA false crawl. Initially, our teams of volunteers, staff and interns search along the high tide line for evidence of sea turtle nesting, namely marks in the sand left by crawling females. Our morning patrols reach the beach just before sunrise 7 days a week. Beginning April 15, Clearwater Marine Aquarium patrols approximately 21 miles of beach along North Pinellas County. Sea turtle nesting season extends from May 1 through Oct. Lastly, the aquarium plans to scatter Winter’s ashes in the adjacent Gulf of Mexico next month, Powell said.All You Need to Know About Sea Turtle Nesting Season A portion of the song proceeds go to the aquarium’s operations. It’s available now on music streaming services, Powell said. There’s also a song for Winter called “In Our Hearts You’ll Be” with lyrics by Stephen Page and music by Rudiger. The Winter’s Endowment will use contributions for investment to continue the aquarium’s work, which includes rehabilitation of other sea creatures such as turtles and manatees, Powell said. The renovation includes a new 1.5 million-gallon (5.6 million-liter) habitat for dolphins. The aquarium, a former water treatment plant that recently completed an $80 million renovation largely due to Winter’s fame, will have a continuing memorial that encourages people to bring cards, notes and remembrances of the dolphin. “We have the technology available to us where guests will be able to virtually swim with Winter and experience her personality as if she were still alive,” Powell said.

It was built on videos and photos taken of Winter throughout her life. James “Buddy” Powell, president of the aquarium, said the virtual reality experience will allow people beginning in January to interact with Winter even though she’s gone. The uplifting story of her recovery using an unprecedented prosthetic tail was the subject of the two Dolphin Tale films in 20, making the marine mammal a hero to people with disabilities and chronic illnesses around the world. She was rescued in December 2005 along Florida’s East Coast after her tail became caught in a crab trap rope. 11 at age 16 of an inoperable intestinal problem. The aquarium announced Friday that Winter’s legacy will include an ongoing memorial, a funding endowment, a special song and a plan to release the animal’s cremated ashes in the Gulf of Mexico. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium has created a legacy for its famed Winter the Dolphin following her recent death, including virtual reality encounters with the prosthetic-tailed star of the Dolphin Tale movies.
