08/21/2025
From Hartman:
💔 I've been hoping to witness this sea turtle magic for years. I thought I would be elated, but it's been a difficult morning. Hopefully this post will bring some awareness.
I've been checking a handful of sea turtle nests nearly every morning on Sunset Beach by the Ring Billed Gull parking lot. Sadly, one of the nests hatched overnight and the turtles were disoriented by house lights. They didn't run to the ocean, they ran across W Gulf Blvd. Some did not make it and were run over by vehicles.
I followed their tracks down 82nd Ave as far as Bayshore Drive. For those unfamiliar with the area, that's easily the distance of a football field. I'm sharing this because I assumed it was only the houses on or nearest the beach that needed to shut off or use amber lights, but that's not the case.
The City of Treaure Island removed sewer covers to retrieve a couple of the babies. The lovely Kayla from Clearwater Aquarium was able to gather and release 19 babies to the ocean. She also shared there have been more disorientations than usual this year.
We've all been thru so much in the last year. People are still struggling to put their homes back in order, so I'm sure sea turtles aren't on their radar. Most people, when given the opportunity, want to do the right thing. If you live on the beach and have a neighbor with lights on, kindly ask them to shut them off. The sea turtles thank you. 💚
