SIESTA KEY (WSNN) Hundreds of turtles are nesting in Sarasota County, but some nests are getting too close to the road for comfort. And people want to see change.
“You kind of have a heavy heart where you realized there is nothing to protect them,” Lynsey Brewer said. “You wish there were more protective measures in place.”
Brewer is visiting Siesta Key from Kentucky. She saw the turtle tracks Wednesday morning from her balcony. Soon after, a Mote Marine Lab team member spotted the nest during their morning beach patrol. They relocated the nest to a safer location.
There was no evidence that the nest had been run over and no crushed eggs. As a private beach owner, Michael Holderness is concerned about how the sand is so close to the road.
“When the babies hatch, they’re attracted to all the car lights that come down here for vista views,” Holderness said.
“I’ve watched several huge trucks run right over where the nest was this morning since she laid her eggs,” Brewer said. “So it definitely needs to be protected here.”
Last year, county leaders installed a barrier stretching along the north end of Beach Road.
“The tarp is to go ahead and block the lights from the residents,” Siesta Key Resident, Margaret Jean Cannon said. “Having it act as a barrier to also keep the turtles on the beach and not in the road, which is very very good.”
When SNN reached out to County leaders, Wednesday, they didn’t confirm whether they’re installing one this year.
“I would never want to come somewhere and visit where I may interfere with natural wildlife,” Brewer said. “So I would actually love to see the mesh.”
“We put up a fence, we keep the lights off the beach, we keep the vehicles off the beach,” Holderness said.
Cannon thinks dunes may be the best solution.
“Acts really nice because it does provide a natural barrier for the light as well as a place for the turtles to actually dig and put their nests in,” Cannon said.
When SNN reached out to FWC, they responded with, “Sea turtle conservation is a priority for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). FWC staff work closely with partners at MOTE Marine Laboratory and Sarasota County to make sure all nests in this area are documented and protected as necessary.”
So far this year, MOTE has documented a total of 1714 nests. 268 of those were on Siesta Key.
If you do see damage happening to a sea turtle nest, you can call FWC at 888-404-3922.