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Save-A-Turtle was able to adopt 2 miles along US 1 at Mile Marker 73 & 74. We will be hosting quarterly clean-ups for our section of highway. We were excited about this area as it not only covers a fishing bridge but it is located near the shoreline through Lower Matecumbe Key. Follow us on Social Media for cleanup dates.
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Evening Edition with Ezra Marcus
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On Friday, May 12 Harry was able to join Ezra Marcus on the Evening Edition on US Radio 104.1 to talk about the current nesting season and an update on the lighting efforts throughout the keys.
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Monroe Country Sheriff's Office was able to help with the beach cleanup on Sea Oats Beach- Sheriff Rick Ramsay was there helping out as well. Thank you MCSO, Flipper High Five!!
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Photo Credit: MCSO Facebook
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May was also sad for us at Save-A-Turtle, we said goodbye to our intern, Darcie. Darcie Graduated from FKCC with her Associates in Marine Environmental Technology and a Certificate in Research Diving, she also received certification with The American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) Darcie is headed to Jacksonville University to continue her studies. Darcie is working towards a Bachelors in Marine Science with an emphasis in Marine Biology. We know Darice is not going to be a stranger to the Keys or Save-A-Turtle, we wish her well in her studies and we are going to miss having her around. Flippers up!
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RSVP SAT June Meeting Update
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Our regular monthly meeting for June has been scheduled for
THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH
JUNE 12th.
We are having a very special meeting in June, we as a group have been invited for a private tour of the new Mote Marine Research Center on Cudjoe Key!!!
Dr. David Vaughn will be leading this private tour, and Jim Gamlin will be in attendance to give a special presentation about Nickle Sea Turtle, the special girl who started Jim on his “Used Turtle Salesman” mission in life.
There will be NO BOARD MEETING in June. An RSVP will be required for this tour. We will be sending out the formal announcement with more details on this in the next few days.
We are absolutely elated about this tour and discussion. Mote Marine has become a world leader in coral restoration, and they are literally right in our back yard!
This is going to be super, and we hope you will be able to attend.
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We sometimes plan, or learn about more events between our newsletters, please follow us on Social Media for current events and turtle related news. See the bottom of the newsletter for links to our social media accounts.
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Event to Benefit Save- A-Turtle
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Historic Tours of America will be holding a benefit for Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys on Friday, June 16, 2017, at the Key West Aquarium.
There will be a silent auction, tours of the Key West Aquarium, guest speakers (including Dr. Douglas Mader who will give a presentation on aquarium resident “Lola” the sea turtle with the prosthetic flipper), food and drinks, a raffle and more.
Our turtle educational trailer will be on site with displays and educational material, staffed with our great volunteers to answer your questions.
More details will be forthcoming in the next few days, keep an eye on your “in” boxes and our social media accounts.
We are so grateful to HTA for this wonderful opportunity, this is going to be a grand time, plan on coming out and being part of this great event!
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Photo Credit: thedodo.com
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Breeding & Nesting Season
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Photo was taken by
Mickey Foster
of BPK of some Green Sea Turtles mating out at the marquesses.
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Sea turtle nesting sites on Florida’s east and west coasts are staked out and marked with signs to protect the cache of eggs laid beneath the sand.
- Florida Fish & Wildlife
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In the 2016 sea turtle nesting season, more than 120,000 loggerhead nests, more than 5,000 green turtle nests and over 1,000 leatherback nests were documented by the FWC. With Florida hosting nearly 90 percent of loggerhead nests within this species’ northern Atlantic Ocean population, the state plays an important role in its conservation.
You can help sea turtles by reporting those that are sick, injured, entangled or dead to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline, 888-404-FWCC (3922), #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone, or text Tip@MyFWC.com. For More information about sea turtles visit FWC
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Beach Walkers are a very important part of nesting season- they are the first ones out on the beaches looking for nests. Thank you to all of our Volunteers who walk our beaches!
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Violations & Lighting Updates
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Lights out for Sea Turtles
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Here in the Keys, it’s sea turtle nesting season. It is imperative that we all who live coastally (including businesses, street lights, parking decks, etc) have sea turtle compliant lighting.
There are Ordinances in place regarding what constitutes compliant lighting, plus Save-A-Turtle is here to help!
If you’re unsure what sea turtle friendly lighting is, shoot us an email at
President@Save-A-Turtle.org to discuss your lighting issues, and if necessary we can bring our mobile educational sea turtle trailer to you for a safe lighting demonstration.
Here’s an example of an oceanfront home which currently has lighting violations (Top Photo). FFWC is working with Code Compliance to get this property into compliance before there is a disorientation.
Be a good steward, and remember lights out for sea turtles!
As you can see in the second photo this home has some of our
Turtle Friendly Lighting options and is able to meet the requirements for compliant lighting.
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Planning on doing work to your property this summer?
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If you live coastally and are planning on doing any exterior work to your property, Please take note…. you need inspections and permits!
During sea turtle nesting season, shoreline hardening is NOT allowed, sand replenishment is by DEP permit only, landscaping of beach (including plantings of trees) is governed by Ordinance and inspections and there are other considerations as well.
Here’s a picture of a property that was completely “table-topped” just days ago without any inspections or permits, during nesting season; if you are not sure what you are looking at, this is a photo taken by one of our permit holders standing at the wrack line of the ocean looking up onto the property. Just days ago there were trees, sea lavender (a protected plant), sea oats, and so much more. Now every shred of natural growth has been completely destroyed.
FFWC is working to hopefully remediate this situation as soon as possible. Table-topping of nesting habitat is not only detrimental to sea turtles, but to other wildlife which depends on natural growth and dunes.
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First Nest of the Season Sale
Limited Time Offer $10
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Plastics are one of the deadliest forms of debris to marine life floating in our oceans. Tons of plastic products are ingested daily by marine life, including turtles, who mistake them for jellyfish.
Visit our Store!
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Save A Turtle meeting will be held at MOTE on Monday, June 12, 2017
Stay Tuned for more information about this meeting
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