Protecting Sea Turtle Hatchlings

THEIR PLIGHT. >> HELLO, I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA STARTS ON MAY. 1ST. >> IN PAST YEARS, THE NUMBER OF ADULT FEMALE SEA TURTLES NESTING EVERY SEASON WAS REALLY THE KEY NUMBER. BUT TOM BAYLISS, OUR SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTER, IS UNCOVERING WHAT HAPPENS TO SEA TURTLE HATCHLINGS IS REALLY THE NEWEST CONCERNED. TOM, THANKS FOR JOINING US. HI, JENNIFER. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CONCERN NOW? >> WELL, WHAT WE'RE LEARNING IS THAT A LOT MORE OF THOSE LITTLE GUYS AND GIRLS ARE MAKING IT INTO THE WATER. WE LOVE THOSE IMAGES OF LOGGERHEADS IN GREEN TURTLES THAT ARE COMMONLY HATCHED ON SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BEACHES, ESPECIALLY THOSE. OH, SO CUTE. TURTLE HATCHLINGS CRAWLING OUT OF THEIR SANDY NESTS EACH THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR FLAILING THEIR LITTLE FLIPPERS TO GET TO THE RELATIVE SAFETY OF THE OCEAN. BUT IN MANY CASES, THEY END UP GOING THE WRONG WAY AWAY FROM THE WATER DRAWN BY THE MOON OR THE STARS TOWARD THE GULF. BUT DRAWN BY THE LIGHTS OF THE BEACH FRONT TOWNS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. THEY RUN OUT OF STEAM, NEVER EVEN REALIZING THEY WERE HEADED THE WRONG WAY. DOZENS ARE BEING FOUND DEAD. THE NEXT MORNING STREWN ABOUT THE BEACH FAR FROM THE WATER LINE OR WORSE, SQUISHED BY CARS AS THEY TRIED TO CROSS PAVED ROADS. WHEN HATCHLINGS GO THE WRONG WAY IS KYLIE CALLED THE DISORIENTATION. BUT NEARLY EVERY TIME THE HATCHLINGS PADDLE THEIR WAY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND PARISH, IT'S A PREVENTABLE DEATH. MORE HATCHLINGS HUSTLE THROUGH THE SAND IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. AT FORT MYERS BEACH THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. CHAD SHOES IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER FOR THE TOWN AND OVERSEAS SEA TURTLE ISSUES. >> SO THE RECENT SPATE OF HURRICANES, HURRICANE IAN, I TELL YA. MILTON WANED. YOU KNOW, THEY THEY TOOK THEIR TOLL ON THE TREES, KNOCKED DOWN A LOT OF STRUCTURES AND AS A CONSEQUENCE OR BEACHES ARE A LOT MORE EXPOSED TO LIGHT. AND THAT LIGHT POLLUTION POSES A PROBLEM. SEA TURTLES THAT ORIENT THEMSELVES WITH. THE MOON AND STAR LIGHT REFLECTING OFF THE GULF. SO WHENEVER THEY ARE. HISTORIANS THAT THEY GO THE WRONG DIRECTION AND SUFFER AS A CONSEQUENCE. >> MOST BEACH TOWNS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAVE SEA TURTLE ORDINANCES AND A MAIN FOCUS OF THEM IS TO AVOID THIS ORIENTATIONS. FORT MYERS BEACH, CONFINED BEACH FRONT HOMES AND BUSINESS OWNERS, $250 FOR A FIRST OFFENSE AND $500 IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. BUT SHOOTS SAID 90% OF THE TIME THEY TALKED TO THE OFFENDER. FIRST AND EVERYTHING GETS SOLVED RIGHT THEN AND THERE. >> SEA TURTLE ORDINANCE DOES APPLY TO ALL PROPERTIES ON THE BEACH. SO YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE BEACH FRONT. 4 TO NEED TO INSTALL THESE LONG WAY. POINT FOLDS. SO EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE. >> SO, TOM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND RESIDENTS IN AND AROUND FORT MYERS BEACH CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THESE LITTLE HATCHLINGS DON'T GET DISORIENTED. >> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, JENNIFER IS TO BUY THE RIGHT KIND OF LATE POPE'S. >> AND WHAT KINDS I AND WE SEE YELLOW AND RED. ARE THOSE THE RIGHT KIND? >> NOT EXACTLY. BUT THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE THE RIGHT KIND, THE RED THERE, AMBER, BUT THEY ARE MORE IMPORTANTLY THERE MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF NANO METERS. SO THAT THE TURTLES CAN'T SEE THEM. AND IT'S ACTUALLY 560 OR GREATER. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPLICATED. JUST GO UP TO THE HARDWARE STORE. TELL THEM WHAT YOU NEED AND UNDERSTAND, ARE THEY EXPENSIVE? NOT ANYMORE THAN LADIES. SO WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT? >> THESE LITTLE HATCHLINGS? >> GO THE RIGHT WAY AND THEY DON'T GET DISORIENTED. >> I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AND THAT IS TO USE BLACKOUT CURTAINS AT NIGHT. IF YOU'RE ANYWHERE NEAR THE BEACH BECAUSE THAT WILL KEEP THE HOUSE LIGHTS FROM INSIDE YOUR COMING OUT. ALSO, WHEN YOU'RE ON THE BEACH, MAKE SURE THE YOU DON'T LEAVE ANY TRASH LITTER OR ANY CHAIRS THAT CAN BLOCK THE HATCHLINGS FROM GETTING TO THE WATER. AND THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THE HOLES OR SANDCASTLES THAT YOU MADE DURING THE DAY FLAT AND THOSE OUT BECAUSE THE LITTLE COLONEL GETS IN A LITTLE HOLE AND THAT CAN BE ANOTHER TYPE OF DEATH TRAP AND PEOPLE MIGHT NOT THINK ABOUT THAT AT ALL. >> TOM, GIVE ANY MORE TIPS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US TODAY? >> YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION. AND I'M REALLY GLAD YOU ASKED THAT ONE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO DO AND NOT TO DUES IN MY ARTICLE WGCU DOT ORG, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WE LOVE THIS LATEST INFORMATION ON ESPECIALLY THIS TOPIC. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL THOSE HATCHLINGS ARE SAFE AND GET OUT TO SEE LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO. >> THANKS, TOM. THANK YOU, SIR.