City: Sea turtle nesting season officially begins
Each year, the city of Sanibel supports the mission of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) and its team of staff and volunteers, which monitor Sanibel’s beaches for shorebirds and endangered sea turtles.
“Because our shoreline serves as critical nesting habitat for these wildlife species, we ask beachgoers and boaters to do their part as they enjoy our barrier island sanctuary,” it shared.
Sea turtle nesting season spans from mid-April through October. Nesting females face many potentially lethal disturbances as they come inshore, including boat strikes, entanglement in fishing line and debris, and disorientations from artificial lighting on the beach. Nesting females or hatchlings that wander inland have an increased risk of exhaustion, dehydration or predation.
The city highlighted the following information:
– Beachfront lighting ordinances are enforced year-round. Gulf-front property owners are responsible for ensuring compliance with the city’s marine turtle protection ordinances so that artificial lighting from their property does not illuminate the beach and disorient nesting females and hatchlings.
– Do not use flash photography, flashlights or phone lights near nesting wildlife. It can cause sea turtles to become disoriented and crawl away from the ocean, putting them at risk.
– Remove furniture and equipment, when not in use, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Items left on the beach, including beach furniture, toys and trash, can be barriers to nesting or result in entanglement and predation of hatchlings.
– Level all sandcastles and fill any holes when you leave for the day. Leave the beach as you found it, so that sea turtles and hatchlings do not become hindered or stuck on their way to nest or during their journey to the water.
“Please join us all summer long in protecting Sanibel’s nesting shorebirds and endangered sea turtles,” it shared.
For more information about the beachfront lighting regulations, contact the Natural Resources Department at sandnr@mysanibel.com.