First nests of the season hatch

During a typical July or August, you might see a crowd of up to 120 people gathered on the beach on a hot, humid night.

The crowd gathers for public nest excavations held by the Longboat Key Public Turtle Watch, in which volunteers dig up nests, count the number of eggs that hatched and sometimes help a straggler or two — i.e., a baby turtle that hatched a couple days before and for some reason has taken its time making its way through the sand to the sea.

This year, Turtle Watch will still have public nest excavations, but they’ll be later in the year than usual.

Before Tropical Storm Debby struck in late June, Longboat Key was experiencing an upswing in nests, with 341 laid on the island through June 23, compared to 140 during the same period in 2011.

Debby destroyed an unknown number of those nests.

According to Turtle Watch volunteer Cyndi Seamon, during its early-morning patrol the group excavated one nest that was scheduled to hatch right around Tropical Storm Debby. They did a closed excavation rather than a public excavation and found 116 dead turtles — not a pleasant sight for the public.

Still, Seamon estimates that Turtle Watch, which is one of the few turtle-patrol groups in the state to hold public excavations, will soon hold the popular events, which are open to onlookers to provide education.
Typically, Turtle Watch looks for a nest that shows signs of a successful hatching — primarily lots of tiny turtle tracks leading toward the ocean. Picking a nest in a location suitable for a crowd with available parking is also important.

Turtle Watch waits three days to excavate a nest in case of stragglers.

But even when the public doesn’t see nest excavations, they still take place during Turtle Watch’s morning patrols.

Public excavations are intended to provide education.

“It’s a great opportunity to educate and try to tell people about being good conservationists and trying to share our beach.”

Hatchling counts
Cyndi Seamon, a volunteer with Longboat Key Turtle Watch, which patrols the Manatee County portion of Longboat Key, estimated late last week that three or four nests have hatched so far in the group’s patrol area.

Mote Director of Communications Nadine Slimak said last week that “so far about a handful of turtle nests have hatched on Longboat Key,” however Mote doesn’t release tallies of hatchlings until after Oct. 31, when nesting season ends.