The Incredible Courage of Sanibel Sea Turtles

If you pay any attention to Sanibel and its devotion to wild life, you will quickly and easily see that our Sea Turtles are among the most loved of all our critters.

There are signs all over the Island's beaches asking that people not trespass on the areas marked as sea turtle nesting spots.  The dark skies program was created to help sea turtles find their way to the sea.

And now, there is a program being launched to educate the general public, adult and child, as to the need for sea turtle awareness.

Through a $20,000 grant acquired by the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society (DDWS), the refuge has coordinated a Saving Sea Turtles program with two publications: a 16-page coloring book featuring fun sea turtle facts, puzzles and word search games for kids as well as a full-color tri-fold brochure offering simple steps to protecting sea turtles for both adults and children, in addition to information about various sea turtle species.

According to supervisory ranger Toni Westland, the grant funding came from funds generated through the Florida sea turtle license plate sales. “Our goal is to put these books and brochures into as many hotel rooms as possible in order to maximize our visibility during sea turtle nesting season,” said Westland, who noted that more than 300,000 Saving Sea Turtles brochures and 63,000 activity books were printed.

 

So why all this attention to these little hatchlings?

 

Well, there is definitely a cuteness factor involved, we won't deny that.  The wee babes are about as adorable as any baby animal, 4 legged, winged or finned, on the Island.

 

But the reality is that these special hatchlings are endangered by so many elements.

 

Sought by predators and susceptible to dehydration, sea turtle hatchlings have only a one in a thousand chance of survival.  Human activities can and do further reduce that chance.

 

By following a few simple rules, we can all help to ensure the greatest rate of survival for our brave sea turtles, hatchling and adult alike:

 

Turn off or shield lights near the beaches

 

Remove furniture and other items from the beach and dune area between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.

 

Pick up all trash

 

Honor the leash law

 

 

We are worried that our adorable babies will not even make it as far as that dash to the sea, let alone survive the journey.  And we want to help them in every way we can!