|
|
Guided Nesting Beach Tours
 |
Morning Nesting Beach Tours of Anna Maria Island are conducted during the early morning hours of June, July & August. Please contact Turtle Watch to make a reservation at 941 778 5638. |
Beach Etiquette & how you can help sea turtles:
- If you find a live hatchling on the shore call AMITW @ 778 5638.
- Minimize beachfront lighting visible from the beach.
- Do not approach an adult turtle coming out of the water to nest. You may startle her and she may return to the water without nesting.
- Do not position yourself in front of a nesting female. This action may cause her to abort her nesting attempt.
- Avoid using flashlights or flash cameras. Lights disrupt or disorient nesting turtles and emerging hatchlings.
- Watch for and avoid hatchlings emerging from a nest. They are small and easily stepped on in the dark
- Do not drive any unauthorized vehicles on the beach at night.
- Fill in holes in the sand on the beach after your day of fun.
AMITW Rescue Team
A select group of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers hold special training skill to rescue live sea turtles. They go through many extra hours of training to qualify for the team. They can be available at a moments notice to locate, give first aid, secure and transport any injured sea turtle in Manatee County. Our team is on call 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
As a contributor to the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, we answer calls to document both live and dead marine turtle strandings.
If you find a hatchling:
- Do not put it in water or air conditioning
- Do not remove it from the beach
- Put it in a container on damp sand with no water
- Cover container with a cloth
- Call one of the numbers listed below
If you find an exposed Nest:
Do not attempt to collect the eggs yourself
Call one of the agencies listed below
What to report;
Dead or injured sea turtles to:
· AMITW Stranding team @941-778-5638 or cell # 232-1405
· FFWCC @ 800-342-5367
· Or any island law enforcement agency
If you find anyone harassing a sea turtle or disturbing a nest,
immediately Call National Marine Fisheries Service @ 321-269-0004 |
Use good beach Etiquette;
Nesting sea turtles depend on dark, quiet beaches to reproduce successfully. Today these turtles are endangered, in part because they must compete with tourists, businesses and coastal residents to use the beach. Man-made, coastal development results in artificial lighting on the beach that
discourages female sea turtles from nesting and can disorient hatchlings causing them to wander away from the beach where they often die of dehydration, predation, or even from being being run over on Gulf Dr.
What can you do?
- Pick up litter, fill in holes, and never leave furniture or debris laying on the beach
- Adopt a turtle through www.islandturtles.com to help raise awareness
- Tint windows that face the beach
- Turn off lights visible on nesting beaches or shield the lights from the beach
- Use Turtle Safe Lighting- these red lights emit a very narrow portion of the visible light spectrum, which is less intrusive to nesting sea turtles and hatchlings
- If disoriented hatchlings are found away from the sea, call local law enforcement
- Close opaque curtains or blinds after dark to cover windows visible from the beach
|
Adopt a Nest & Adopt a Hatchling Programs
Give the gift that keeps on giving
Our Adopt a Nest Program is very popular. For a suggested donation of $100, you get a plaque posted at a nest with your choice of wording. We collect the data and contact you when your nest hatches with copies of the data sheets & send you your plaque.
0ur Adopt a hatchling program is a very popular gift. Each package comes with an 8x10 certificate of adoption with a picture of your bouncing baby hatchling. It includes our "Lights out" stickers, a turtle tattoo and other information about sea turtles on our island. Suggested donation is $15 plus $4 postage. Send your check to:
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch
2213 Avenue B
Bradenton Beach, Florida 34217
or call 941 778 5638 |
|
