Beachgoers reminded not to handle baby turtles

By Dana Kampa
| 8:00 a.m. August 10, 2026

Baby turtles may return to local shores this washback season. Experts recommend calling Mote Marine's stranding line if the turtles can't return to the water on their own.

Longboat Key
Neighbors

Baby turtles may occasionally wash up on local shores this time of year while they are figuring out how to navigate the waves.

Longboat Key Turtle Watch is reminding the public that anyone who encounters "washbacks" that have returned to shore should not touch them. Even well-intentioned interference can be harmful, especially if an inexperienced youngling is exhausted.

Experts recommend calling Mote Marine's Stranding Investigations Program at 1-888-345-2335 if a turtle is too weak to return to the water on its own.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.