Bumper season of Turtles on Sanibel

If you have ever visited Sanibel and neighboring Captiva, you have not doubt noticed the lights out policies on both islands.

That is probably the most visible sign of the protective measures taken to ensure that our nesting and hatchling turtles do not get distracted from the task at hand.

And getting to the sea is the task at hand.

Lights may disorient even the most dedicated beach traveler, so we have no street lights on either island and have begun a program to guarantee that lights on homes and in condo complexes comply with what is needed for a safe journey to the sea.

But lighting is only one component of sea turtle safety.

Others include protection of sea turtle nests on the beach which means warning signs and cordoning of those areas.  It also necessitates the leash law as roaming dogs might be destructive.

There is a lot of effort put into the protection of sea turtles, as we view them as our jewels.

And there is a lot of jubilation when there are good indications our protective measures worked.

Such is the case at this time.

This past August an assessment was done of sea turtle nests and the findings were cause for a super beach party.  The turtle nest count for the East  and West end of Sanibel showed that 164 and 430 Loggerhead Turtle nests were found , respectively, on the two ends of the island.  That may not sound like a huge number, but it is a very nice increase from the previous year when the tallies showed 120 and 376.

We are hopeful the number of hatchlings,  which will be evident this month , is as encouraging.

So why all the hoopla about sea turtles?

Nearly all species of sea turtle are classified as Endangered. Slaughtered for their eggs, meat, skin and shells, sea turtles suffer from poaching and over-exploitation. They also face habitat destruction and accidental capture in fishing gear. Climate change has an impact on turtle nesting sites.

And even when not directly threatened, the number of sea turtles who never make it to the sea is staggering.  Sadly, only an estimated one in 1 to 1,000 will survive to adulthood. The natural obstacles faced by young and adult sea turtles are immense, so Sanibel Island feels a mandate to do everything imaginable to help these special creatures.

When you come to our little tropical island and pay attention to the regulations, you are doing your part to ensure their survival. We thank you~