Every year, hundreds of female Green and Loggerhead sea turtles head for land on local beaches in Panama City, Florida. Once on land these huge turtles drag themselves across the sand in search of a safe place to lay their eggs. The eggs are once again beginning to hatch, and baby turtles are emerging from their shells, and heading for the sea.
All about sea turtles
Florida’s sea turtles spend most of their lives in the sea, however adult females come ashore during breeding season, under cover of darkness, to lay their eggs in the sand. An egg-laying female will leave the water at night in search of a safe place where she can dig a hole, and deposit her eggs. Once the eggs are laid, the female covers the nest with sand, and heads back to the sea.
It is possible for female Green Sea Turtles to lay several clutches of eggs during a single breeding season. Each clutch is usually between 100 and 200 eggs, and the female may not breed again for several years.
Green sea turtles live in one part of the ocean and undertake a long journey in order to mate and lay their eggs on the same beach they were born on. For some adult female turtles this living and breeding cycle could mean a round trip of 3000 miles.
Sea turtles have flippers and a streamlined shell, which helps them to swim long distances and glide through the water quickly and easily. They can remain underwater for long periods of time, but they come to the surface to breathe when swimming.
Baby turtles emerge from the nest in approximately 40-75 days, and immediately head for the water. Baby sea turtles hatch at night, and instinctively follow the natural light from the moon and stars to find the water’s edge. Green sea turtles are blessed with long life spans, and may take up to 50 years to reach sexual maturity.
Natural and man-made dangers to baby sea turtles
Baby sea turtles face both natural dangers and man-made dangers during their nighttime journey across the sand, on their way to the warm Gulf waters.
Natural dangers for these brave babies may include the high risk of being eaten by birds, or, if they make it to the sea, their soft shells make them a delicious target for hungry fish.
Man-made dangers are listed below:
- Artificial lights — porch lights from beach homes may disrupt the adult turtles natural instinct to lay their eggs, and freshly hatched turtles instinctively depend on the night sky’s natural light to guide them to the ocean. If artificial light interferes, the babies may head in the wrong direction and never make it to the water.
- Beach furniture and debris — toys, chairs, umbrellas and other assorted items can make it difficult for turtles to maneuver across the sand. Female turtles searching for a place to nest may simply return to the sea without laying their eggs, and babies can become too disoriented by human beach paraphernalia that they are killed by predators or die from exposure before ever finding the water.
- Poaching — sea turtles are an endangered species and people are asked not to touch the adults or the babies. It is a criminal offense to remove a baby sea turtle from the beach.
Other dangers include being accidentally hit by boats, getting tangled in fishing nets and ingesting trash. It is very important to the survival of these amazing creatures that humans do not intentionally or unintentionally disrupts their continued growth.
Baby sea turtles get help when needed
Turtle Watch, a conservation group of volunteers, based in Panama City, Florida, make it a priority to help baby sea turtles make the hazardous journey to the water in safety. This group works to locate turtle nests, and help the babies once they have hatched. One nest recently hatched and Turtle Watch was on the scene. This video shows the group, on the beach, as the babies emerge from their nest.
Devin Brown, a Hot Springs, Arkansas college student, vacationing in Panama City, Florida was on the beach, and can be seen in the above video, as one of the sea turtle nests was being excavated. She had this to say about the experience, “I learned so much so fast when they were digging up the nest, and watching them save that tiny, sand-covered baby turtle was amazing.”
Panama City’s Turtle Watch Group gets its funding from the Bay County Tourist Development Council. The funding allows the Watch Groups to monitor the beaches and perform daily surveys throughout the summer, in order to identify where the nests are located. Locating the nests is paramount to knowing when a nest is expected to hatch so volunteers can be on hand to help the hatchlings if the need arises.
Turtles on Panama City Beach, Florida
Sea turtles have been in existence for a very long time, and are among the oldest and largest living reptiles in the world. Their history dates back to prehistoric times. Their numbers are dwindling, and it is very important to make sure this species does not disappear from the oceans or the beaches in Panama City.
The tourism industry in Panama City, Florida, takes protecting nature and the sea turtles very seriously. Officials encourage both visitors and locals alike to make a conscious effort to ensure the safety of these incredible creatures.
Sources:
“Turtles, Turtles, Turtles”, William E. Males, Visitpcfla.com, Accessed 07 August 2011
“The Definitive Visual Guide to the World’s Wildlife”, Smithsonian Institution ANIMAL, David Burnie & Don E. Wilson, DK Publishing, Inc., 2005.
Kelly Dupree - My love of animals, especially cats, and my interest in science has led to a serious passion to write well researched articles.
