Scales & Tales with
Contributing Writer Sophie Mckee
Hello everyone. Sophie here with this month's cold-blooded creature, the baby loggerhead turtle. Last month I reposted an article I wrote a few years ago when I saw my first adult turtle crawling down the beach after laying her eggs just before sunrise up at Casey Key.
Southwest Florida’s beaches are some of the most important nesting places for sea turtles in the United States. Every summer, female loggerhead sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Even though thousands of eggs are laid each year, only a very small number of hatchlings survive long enough to become adults.
Sea turtles face a lot of danger from the moment the eggs are laid. A typical loggerhead nest holds about 100 eggs buried in the sand. The eggs stay there for around two months before hatching. During that time, predators such as raccoons and coyotes may dig up the nests and eat the eggs.
Even swarms of fire ants will dig down and destroy a whole nest of turtle eggs.
Storms, flooding, and beach erosion can also destroy nests. In Southwest Florida, wildlife groups often place screens over the nests to keep predators out, but nature still causes many losses.
When the hatchlings finally break out of their eggs, usually at night, their journey becomes even harder. They need to crawl from the nest to the ocean, guided by the natural light reflecting off the water. Bright lights from beachfront homes, hotels, and businesses can confuse them. Instead of heading toward the Gulf, they may crawl the wrong way, which is bad news. If you're staying at a beach hotel right now, you'll notice that they don't have a lot of outside lights just for this reason.
Reaching the ocean does not mean the hatchlings are safe. They are only a few inches long, making them easy prey for birds, fish, and larger sea animals. Strong waves can push them back onto the beach or tire them out before they reach deeper water.
The ones that make it offshore enter what scientists call the “lost years.” During this time, young turtles drift in ocean currents and hide in floating seaweed. They still face threats from predators, pollution, and plastic debris, which they can accidentally swallow.
Because of all these dangers, the survival rate for all sea turtle hatchlings is extremely low. Scientists estimate that as few as one in 10,000 will survive to adulthood. The baby loggerhead in the photo was an unfortunate one. We found it getting carried off by a seagull at sunrise and it was already dead. It was sad to see, but that's nature. Still, Southwest Florida has become a leader in sea turtle protection.
Local governments enforce lighting rules during nesting season, and organizations like the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and Turtle Time, Inc. monitor nests, rescue confused hatchlings, and teach the public how to help.
Even with the odds stacked against them, sea turtles have survived for millions of years. Their return to our beaches each summer shows that they are still doing really well thanks to how much we try to protect them these days. Every successful nest and every hatchling that reaches the water is a small victory.
This is usually where I say see you next month, but sadly this will probably be the last article I write for a while. I'm back in high school and very busy with my schedule so I just don't have the free time anymore. If I come across a cool reptile, I'll definitely send in some photos. It's been a lot of fun writing these articles over the last few years and I hope you folks have learned a little bit more about all the cold-blooded creatures we have here in Florida.
Thanks so much for reading.
Sophie Mckee
Oasis High School, Cape Coral
