BIG PINE KEY, Florida Keys - Environmental enthusiasts have been able to observe infant loggerhead sea turtles hatching and emerging from their nests, via a live streaming “turtle webcam” installed on a private beach on Big Pine Key in the Lower Florida Keys.
The webcam has offered daytime viewing of the loggerhead nest in natural light and infrared nighttime viewing to avoid disturbing the turtles.
A first nest, anticipated to hatch by Aug. 25, did not show any indication that turtle hatchlings emerged. There are plans to excavate the nest to determine what factors may have affected the predicted hatch.
A second nest hatched Aug. 27 and was excavated by permitted beach surveyors who found 84 eggs. Of these, 80 hatched successfully, including one live hatchling that was discovered and released. Four of the eggs were unfertilized.
A third nest hatched during the nighttime hours of Sept.1, and video recordings of the hatch and subsequent nest excavation are set to be available for view.
Loggerhead, green, leatherback, hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles nest on beaches in the Florida Keys or inhabit regional waters. All five species are considered threatened or endangered.
Early spring through early fall each year, turtles crawl ashore at night to dig nests and lay about 100 ping-pong-ball-sized eggs per nest. After covering them with sand, the turtles return to the water. Approximately two months later, hatchlings emerge and seek the water.
Any artificial light can disturb and disorient the turtles, interrupting the natural process. Laws prohibit people from touching or disturbing hatchlings, nests and nesting turtles.
Placement of the webcam was approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Funded by the Florida Keys tourism council, the camera is part of a longstanding Keys effort to raise awareness of sea turtles and their needs.
Since the mid-1980s, the Save-a-Turtle organization and Marathon’s Turtle Hospital have worked to protect and care for the region’s marine turtles and their habitat.
Courtesy of FloridaKeysKeyWest.com
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