Thursday, August 11, 2011

Turtle Walk Thursday

It was the 16th time we hit the beach before sunrise, this sea turtle nesting season.  I just love walking out the boardwalk to see a different view each time.  Yesterday when we were subs for another turtle walker, there was a strong, cooling breeze.  This morning there was a slight breeze, but the humidity was stifling. 
It seems like the nesting could be nearing the end, now it's just waiting and watching for the hatches. 


















I guess there are still turtles nesting! 
We found one!




??




Italian noodle?






Found this beside, what seemed to be,
a UFO landing site. :)




Beach excavation?






Crab trap.


The one that got away?





















Nesting Stats:
As of August 12, 2011:


Sanibel East-35 nests, 84 false crawls, 11 hatches
Sanibel West- 239 nests, 359 false crawls, 87 hatches
Captiva- 76 nests, 54 false crawls, 39 hatches

As of August 12, 2010:

Sanibel East- 20 nests, 65 false crawls, 3 hatches
Sanibel West- 136 nests, 242 false crawls, 49 hatches
Captiva- 63 nests, 117 false crawls, 26 hatches

As of August 12, 2009:

Sanibel East- 27 nests, 57 false crawls, 8 hatches
Sanibel West- 155 nests, 177 false crawls, 83 hatches
Captiva- 80 nests, 67 false crawls, 37 hatches

Info from:  Amanda Bryant, Biologist, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation



1 comment:

George said...

I'm always amazed at what you find on the beach during your turtle walks. Your sunrise pictures are as beautiful as ever. The statistics you cited indicated that all the work done by volunteers is paying off.