Volusia Flagler Turtle Patrol

Loggerhead Speared in The Keys

2011-08-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Reward Up To $12,850. http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Speared-Turtle-Reward-Up-To-12850-127653173.html

The reward for information leading to the conviction of the person who speared an endagered loggerhead sea turtle near Big Pine Key is up to a whopping $12,850 -- plus three free fishing trips, three free diving trips, and eight hours of welding.

The reward pool has grown since Turtle Hospital founder Richie Moretti immediately pledged a $500 reward, supplemented by turtle lovers from Key West to Sarasota.

"We're still getting calls with donations for the reward, so it's not over yet," said Turtle Hospital manager Jo Ellen Basile. "You don't do that to our turtles in the Keys. I think it says something about our community. People are outraged that someone would do that -- both because of the cruelty and the wasted resource."

The 125-pound subadult sea turtle, nicknamed Sara by staffers of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon where she is recovering, was discovered on August 3 with an unusually high-powered 4-foot spear lodged through her head.

"People immediately recognized it as a type not normally sold in the Keys," said Basile. "It's a Torres pneumatic spear, a higher powered weapon than is normally used for spearfishing here. You'd be more likely to use that whale hunting."

After spotting Sara struggling to come up for air about 3 miles offshore, a fisherman and his son contacted the Coast Guard for permission to capture the endangered turtle, and then spent 40 minutes bringing her on board before meeting turtle rescue at their dock.

Monroe County Fire Rescue cut down the spear for safer transport, and subsequent x-rays at the Turtle Hospital showed the spear had penetrated behind an eye and across the back of Sara's throat, just missing her brain.

The spear's barb made it impossible to put out the way it had gone in, so volunteer veterinarian Dr. Doug Mader had to push it out through the other side of her head where it had already poked through the skin.

Harming a loggerhead turtle is a violation of the US Endangered Species Act, and carries a third degree felony charge in Florida. After it was removed, the spear was taken into evidence by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation.

For Sara, it was a narrow escape. "She's doing great," said Jo Ellen Basile, Turtle Hospital's manager. "She's healthy and fiesty, one lucky turtle."

Hospital experts expect Sara will be healthy enough for release in about a month.

Items left on the beach overnight are a hazard to humans and sea turtles.

2011-08-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

Tense battle over beach tents

By DINAH VOYLES PULVER and ANDREW GANT, Staff Writers
ORMOND BEACH -- After years of oceanfront living, Carol MacLeod watched in excitement early one morning as a female sea turtle dug a nest and deposited eggs right in front of her beachfront condominium.

MacLeod's delight turned to doubt when she saw the gauntlet the turtle had run to crawl up the beach. Crawl tracks in the sand showed the turtle had made a hard turn on the way up to avoid a tent pole among an array of poles left wedged in the sand overnight. It would face the same obstacles on the way back out to sea.

The experience prompted MacLeod to get in touch with her Volusia County councilman, Carl Persis, who brought the issue to the Volusia County Council at the end of a recent meeting.

Now the county has a crackdown in the works.

"In the past, we've put stickers on it, given them time to remove it," County Manager Jim Dinneen said. "That's not working for us."

MacLeod and others say the number of items left in the sand overnight seems to be growing, causing concern for both turtles and people -- the latter who walk and run the beach after sundown. The turtle MacLeod saw was an adept one. Some people aren't so lucky.

Dinneen, for example, nearly fell face-first in the sand one night when he jogged between two seemingly empty volleyball poles. (An unseen cord "got me right below the knee," he said.) Another night, when District 3 Councilwoman Joie Alexander was on the beach with her family, she watched as one of her grandchildren tripped over a piece of abandoned gear and fell in the dark.

All Volusia County does in cases like these, for now, is stick a tag on the offending item. As Dinneen pointed out, it isn't working.

But the tents, especially those people intend to return and pick up the next day, present a legal quandary for the county. The county does not have an ordinance that bans items from being left on the beach.

Beach Patrol Capt. Tammy Marris said patrolling officers don't drag off anyone's property because no ordinance allows them to do so. Instead, the tagging program takes place under an existing state law for abandoned property.

The tags don't threaten any consequences, simply stating: "Remove beach furniture at night for the safety of all beach users," followed by contact information for the county's beach services division.

Florence Bertolucci and her husband, who own a condo in the Shoreham in Ormond-By-The-Sea, watched Thursday evening as one group after another packed up and left their tent structures up along the beach. Even though it's a lot of work to lug all the stuff children need back and forth to the beach, Bertolucci said an ordinance to prohibit leave-behinds would be a good idea.

"I would definitely support that," she said.

A strict ordinance has been successful in Walton County, a tourist destination in the Panhandle that used to have a similar beach-clutter problem. The 2008 measure, county spokesman Ken Little said, "has worked out well and sort of mitigated" the issue.

In Walton, tent structures can stay up overnight if they're on the edge of the dune and "arranged in a compact configuration to avoid clutter." If the tent is too cumbersome to move back to the dunes, the owner can ask the county for a free permit to leave it out.

Otherwise, it can become county property. Officials there have broad power to deny permit requests, and the county reserves the right to take anything that stays on the beach longer than permitted.

Across much of South Walton, where there are more single-family homes on the beach than condos and hotels, Little said the people "have more space and luxury to haul a bunch of stuff down to the beach than out of a hotel room." But since the ordinance passed and the county posted warnings, he said, beachgoers have learned.

"There have been no complaints about it lately," Little said. And "we're having a banner year this year. The place is just slammed full."

People often assume that a federal permit the county holds, which allows beach driving while managing for sea turtles, requires the county to pick up or move stray items on the beach that could interfere with turtle nesting, but that isn't the case, county officials said. It does prohibit items from being left inside the marked conservation zones, set aside along the beach for sea turtle nests.

The federal permit also requires the county to remove obstacles when the eggs in a nest are due to hatch, said Jennifer Winters, who manages the county's sea turtle habitat conservation plan..

County volunteers on early morning turtle patrols keep track of those due dates, and on those nights, a contractor rakes over ruts and removes any obstacles across a 30-foot path between nest and ocean, Winters said. Those same volunteers also tag items they see left on the beach.

That, Winters said, is all the county is legally allowed to do.

County officials are considering their options. It's unclear if they will draft a specific ordinance or explore some other option. For safety reasons, Dinneen recently decided to pull the Beach Patrol's fleet of pickups off patrols -- opting for smaller ATVs in the future -- and it's unclear if the ATVs will be capable of hauling much abandoned gear.

The pickups could still go out on early-morning tent patrols, County Council members suggested at their last meeting.

Deputy County Attorney Jamie Seaman said any ordinance must be structured to stay within the scope of the county's authority -- public safety -- without violating private property rights. For example, no single boundary establishes private property ownership along the beach, and boundaries vary widely. In some cases, lots are owned all the way to the mean high water mark, Seaman said.

Dinneen suggested the county could print warnings on the next round of brochures, provide signs for hotels to post on their properties, and then start hauling off the clutter.

Alexander suggested donating the spoils to local booster clubs or Pop Warner teams -- groups that will put them to good use.

Persis said he hated to add another task to the list of jobs for county staffers, but the problem has become a safety issue in many areas, especially in his district.

"We've had cases where those poles come loose, winds pick them up, and then you have a flying missile through the air," he said. "That's not the way you want to enjoy the beach, with things being hurled at you."

Take Action for Manatees!

2011-08-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

Your Urgent Support Is Needed For Critical New FWS Protections for Manatees in Crystal River

Sign to support the proposal (FWS-R4-ES-2010-0079) made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate Kings Bay in Crystal River as a manatee refuge.

Officials: Volusia To Make Beach Patrol Changes - News Story - WFTV Orlando

2011-08-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Officials: Volusia To Make Beach Patrol Changes - News Story - WFTV Orlando

Again? Really??

2011-07-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Beach Patrol truck strikes beachgoer By MARK HARPER, STAFF WRITER
July 31, 2011 1:19 PM Posted in: News Tagged:Beach Patrol , crash

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- An adult female was injured this morning when a Beach Patrol lifeguard making a U-turn struck her with his truck.

The woman, whose name has not yet been released by authorities, was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach after the crash, said Sgt. Daniel Caulk of the Florida Highway Patrol. She was in stable condition.

Lifeguard Thomas Moderie, 22, was driving a Beach Patrol pickup truck north in the beach lanes just north of Dunlawton Avenue when a pedestrian approached him and mentioned that broken glass had remained at the scene of a previous accident, Caulk said. Moderie made the turn to head south when he struck the woman, lying in the sand, in her "head area," Caulk said.

"From what we can tell, he did a safe turn while he was attempting to head south," Caulk said.

Marisa Caro, of Daytona Beach, was sunning herself nearby when she heard screams.

"Crazy, crazy," she said. "(The driver) was a young kid. He was very nervous. He called immediately (for help)."

Any decision on charging the driver is pending further investigation, Caulk said.

The accident occurred at 10 a.m., Highway Patrol Sgt. Kim Montes said.

This was at least the sixth time since 2003 that a Beach Patrol vehicle was involved in an accident on the beach.

Save Turtles From Dying

2011-07-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sign the petition.

Shrimp nets are drowning turtles, but they don't have to.

Dead sea turtles are washing up on Gulf shores by the hundreds. More are falling uncounted onto the ocean floor. They are victims of drowning, caught in shrimp nets and unable to escape.

Shrimp nets don't have to kill. They can - and should - include escape hatches called Turtle Excluder Devices. But records show that many fishermen are ignoring the rules, and no one is stopping them.

We are calling on the National Marine Fisheries Service to enforce the rules already on the books and protect endangered and threatened turtles. Sign before July 29 and speak out against this unnecessary massacre.

Turtle nesting starts with abundance - News

2011-05-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Turtle nesting starts with abundance - News

In rough year for sea turtles — cold, oil spill — biologists are surprised to find more nests - St. Petersburg Times

2010-12-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

In rough year for sea turtles — cold, oil spill — biologists are surprised to find more nests - St. Petersburg Times

Volunteers help hatchlings go from beach to ocean - News

2010-11-19T05:51:00.000-08:00

Volunteers help hatchlings go from beach to ocean - News

Beach driving under fire following death - News

2010-07-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Beach driving under fire following death - News

Beach driving under fire following death
Issue tied to county charter, beach parking
By DINAH VOYLES PULVER, Staff Writer

The death of a 4-year-old boy on a Volusia County beach -- the second traffic fatality involving a child on the beach in four months -- has prompted a majority of County Council members to call for quick action to reconsider the safety of beach driving.

Council members on Monday raised options ranging from putting the question to voters this fall, commissioning an independent study to look at ways to make the beach safer or adopting a phased-in plan to end beach driving. A majority said they would support a plan to create more car-free zones.

A vote could come as early as Thursday, during the council's regular meeting.

Aiden Patrick died Sunday after he dashed toward the water near the Crawford Road beach approach in New Smyrna Beach and was run over by a truck driven by Donovan Sias, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The boy was pronounced dead at Bert Fish Medical Center shortly after the 3:18 p.m. accident, according to the FHP.

The boy's parents, Jason and Portia Patrick, live in Deltona, said Fred Lupo, president of Freedom Fire Protection in Sanford, where Jason Patrick is employed. The company set up a trust fund for the family Monday.

The highway patrol's investigation is ongoing, said spokesman Sgt. Kim Montes.

"At this point we don't believe the vehicle was speeding and we don't believe there was any impairment," Montes said Monday. Sias' truck was towed as a normal part of the investigation, "to make sure the truck is in compliance."

According to county records, Sias, 33, New Smyrna Beach, has been cited for traffic infractions 34 times since 1994, including eight for failure to obey a traffic control device, one for speeding and one for careless driving.

The FHP also continues to investigate the death of Ellie Bland, 4, on Daytona Beach in March, Montes said. Witnesses said the little English girl was crossing busy traffic lanes when she was struck by a vehicle driven by a Georgia woman. Her death was the first traffic fatality on a Volusia County beach since 1996.

Two other beachgoers also have been struck by vehicles this year. News-Journal records indicate several pedestrians are injured each year, including six in 2009.

"It's just heartbreaking," Councilman Carl Persis said Monday. "Why couldn't we create more no-auto zones on the beach so people with small children would have more opportunities to go to areas where they wouldn't have to worry about their child being hit by a car or a truck?"

"That's the pitch I keep bringing up to the council. So far it hasn't come up with a lot of traction," Persis said. "How many more 4-year-old kids have to be killed before it gets traction?"

"To act like we don't have a problem or to act like it's so complicated we can't study the issue is just sticking your head in the sand."

County officials long have insisted the council can't vote to take cars off the beach because the county charter, adopted in 1986, guarantees the public the right to drive on the beach.

Any move to take cars off the beach would require that the county guarantee adequate off-beach parking for all those who wish to visit the beach, county officials said.

"I don't think we can do it tomorrow, as much as I would like to," said Councilwoman Patricia Northey. However, she said, the council could adopt a three-to-five year plan to provide more parking and access and "take cars off the beach."

Northey said the county doesn't need to hire a consultant for a new study. She said a similar plan "shelved" 10 years ago could be updated and used.

Several council members said they would support putting a referendum on the ballot for the November general election.

That would require a two-thirds majority of the council, said County Attorney Dan Eckert, with the window for doing so closing quickly.

Beach driving is almost as old as Volusia County, with historic photos showing horse and buggies on the beach even before the automobile was invented. But not all sections of the beach are open to driving. Of 40 miles of beach, driving is allowed today on about 17 miles.

Among the individuals calling on Volusia County to move quickly is Louis Celenza.

Celenza, who owns a home just a few houses south of Sunday's incident, wrangled with the county for years over beach driving before finally losing his lawsuit in March. A circuit judge ruled a custom had been established for beach driving on property just north of the Crawford approach.

At the time, Celenza called the situation on the beach a "dangerous mix" of vehicles, children and people.

The county "can't just keep paying blood money to families and hope it won't happen again," Celenza said Monday. "If they can't control it and prevent things like this, they should do away with it."

Like the council members, beachgoers near the site of the little boy's death on Monday had mixed reactions.

Jason Schrieber, 32, visiting from Ohio with his wife and three small children, said he would prefer less or no traffic.

But as an alternative Schreiber said an increase in Beach Patrol presence during busy days like Sunday "would be safer."

Bob Miller, 51, of New Smyrna Beach said he has no problem with cars on the beach.

"I think the accident was a fluke," he said as he watched his wife and 5-year-old daughter head to the water. "I (or my wife) keeps her within arms reach."

A trust fund for Aiden Patrick's family has been established at BankFIRST, 800-669-8701, account number 100037308.

-- Staff Writer Mark I. Johnson contributed to this report.

Ten beachgoers have been hit by vehicles in eight incidents in Volusia County since March 2009.

SUNDAY: Aiden Patrick, 4, is run over and killed near the Crawford Avenue beach approach in New Smyrna Beach.

JUNE 9: Carole Nadeau Dalton is run over near Daytona Beach's Lenox Avenue approach by a pickup driven by a Beach Patrol officer. She underwent surgery for a fractured leg.

APRIL 3: Angela Samala of Orlando is run over by a motorist on northern New Smyrna Beach while lying on the sand between vehicles in the parking lane in violation of county code.

MARCH 20: Ellie Bland, a 4-year-old British girl vacationing in Daytona Beach, is struck and killed by a car as she walked toward the ocean near SunSplash Park, holding hands with her great-uncle.

MARCH 30, 2009: New Mexico residents David and Julie Waschezyn, in lounge chairs lying face down, are hit by a golf cart in Daytona Beach Shores. A 22-year-old Canadian tourist carrying two passengers on the cart made a U-turn and plowed over the couple's legs.

MARCH 15, 2009: Matthew David Keaffaber is run over by a pickup on Daytona Beach but walked away unscathed after an 18-year-old driver ventured illegally into a beach conservation zone about two blocks north of Seabreeze Boulevard.

MARCH 10, 2009: The Collins family of Newnan, Ga., is hit by a golf cart driven by 17-year-old Michael Gregory Walters of Ocoee on Daytona Beach. Don Collins was left with tire marks on his back and waist.

MARCH 8, 2009: Two teenage girls lying on the sand at the 3700 block of Ocean Beach Drive in Daytona Beach Shores are run over by a 37-year-old man in a pickup who wanted to change parking spaces so he could be closer to friends.

What the Volusia County Charter says

The Charter's Section 205, Unified Countywide Beach Regulations, spells out:

BEACH ACCESS

The public has a right to access beaches and a right to use the beaches for recreation and other customary purposes.

· "This right of access and use is a public trust, which the council shall by ordinance define, protect, and enforce. Because prohibiting motor vehicle access to the beaches would deny beach use to many, the council shall authorize, as permitted by law, vehicular access to any part of the beach not reasonably accessible from public parking facilities."

UNIFIED BEACH CODE

The county shall regulate public health, safety and welfare on the beach. This can include individual conduct, pedestrian safety, vehicular access and fees, operation and parking of vehicles on beaches and approaches; and vendors, concessionaires, and special events.

Beach by the numbers

919,652: Vehicles that drove onto Volusia beaches between February and November 2009.

$2.7 million: Money collected in beach tolls during the same time frame.

Pickup hits, kills boy on beach - News

2010-07-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

Pickup hits, kills boy on beach - News

Pickup hits, kills boy on beach
By EILEEN ZAFFIRO, Staff Writer
July 19, 2010 12:05 AM Posted in: Beach - East Volusia Tagged:beach driving , traffic fatalities The Florida Highway Patrol and the Volusia County Beach Patrol investigate the scene where a little boy was run over by a red Dodge truck in New Smyrna Beach on Sunday. The boy died of his injuries.

N-J | Sean McNeil NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- It started as one of those picture-perfect moments on the beach Sunday afternoon, a little boy in his swim trunks flitting around on the sand.

In the blink of an eye, the 4-year-old was underneath a large red pickup, fighting for his life. Moments later, a swarm of paramedics pumped the Daytona Beach boy's chest and tried to breath life back into him, but the efforts didn't work.

The child, Aiden Patrick, was pronounced dead a short time later at Bert Fish Medical Center.

Patrick was with his parents shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, standing near a row of parked cars on the beach a short distance north of Flagler Avenue, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, which is investigating the accident.

Witnesses told investigators the boy ran toward the water and into the path of the truck, which was southbound in the beach traffic lanes. The preliminary investigation indicates the driver, 33-year-old Donovan Sias of New Smyrna Beach, was not speeding and couldn't see the child.

The truck's front right tire ran over the boy, according to the FHP. Sias was not injured.

No charges were filed Sunday; Sias's truck was towed from the scene.

Gianna Heath was relaxing under an umbrella a stone's throw away from the accident, and she walked into a heartbreaking scene when she ventured over to see if she could help. Heath saw the boy lying between the front and back tires of the truck on the passenger side before an army of emergency workers arrived and tried to save him.

"I saw the family holding the child, telling him they were there," said Heath, a 37-year-old mother of two from South Carolina who was on her second day of vacation in New Smyrna Beach. "I only saw the aftermath, but I could tell it was very serious. The parents were calling the baby's name, holding the baby in their arms."

The accident happened about 3:15 p.m., when the tide was still high and water was pushing toward the driving lanes. Just after 3:30 p.m., the tyke did not have a pulse and was not breathing as EVAC Ambulance paramedics transported him to the hospital, said EVAC spokesman Mark O'Keefe.

The child was pronounced dead at the hospital, O'Keefe said.

Patrick became at least the fourth person this year to be hit or run over by a vehicle on the beach.

In March, a 4-year-old girl was killed when she was hit by a car as she walked toward the ocean. In April, a 23-year-old Orlando woman was injured when an SUV rolled over her, and in June a 52-year-old Daytona Beach woman was injured when a pickup driven by a Beach Patrol officer ran over her.

Last year, six people were hit or run over on the beach.

People soaking in the sun and dipping in the ocean Sunday were shocked to hear what happened.

"It happens too much," said Sean Ronan, who was visiting from Oviedo. "If it's a visibility thing, maybe only cars should be allowed out here, and not trucks."

Liz and John Ostrow, visiting from New York, were just north of the wreck and watched the tragedy unfold.

"The paramedics were working so hard," Liz Ostrow said. "There were a lot of people on top of him, and they did not stop for a second. ... Such a poor baby."

The Ostrows said they're puzzled why cars are even allowed on the beach.

"I don't see any sense in it," John Ostrow said. "People can't be that lazy. They shouldn't allow driving here at all. What a sad day."

Beach driving is a topic that has stirred debate this year among Volusia County Council members. Councilman Carl Persis has led a charge to find a way to reduce cars on the beach, possibly changing driving to only one-way flows or blocking vehicles completely in more areas.

So far, he hasn't had enough support to spur a study or change beach driving policy.

"It's just another tragedy," Persis said Sunday night. "How many people have to be killed or injured before we say something has to change? We can't just pretend like we don't have a problem."

Persis said he plans to discuss beach driving at this Thursday's County Council meeting. As a local resident since the 1950s, he said he understands the "passion for driving on the beach."

"But at some point we have to realize things have changed," he said. "The beach is narrower, the sand is softer. People are distracted with cell phones."

Persis isn't convinced Sunday's death will make a difference.

"I've been through it so many times, it's almost like here we go," he said. "I guess it's not horrible enough yet to want to do something about it."

"My prayers are with the family," Heath said. "I pray God will use this to draw them closer to him."
Copyright © 2010 The Daytona Beach News-Journal

20 Sea Turtles Found Dead Along Miss. Beaches

2010-05-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

GULFPORT, Miss. --

Associated Press
A dead sea turtle lies on the beach in Pass Christian, Miss., Sunday, May 2, 2010. Researchers from the Institute of Marine Mammal Sciences from Gulfport, Miss., collected the turtles and will examine them to determine the cause of death. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) More

At least 20 sea turtles have been found dead this weekend along a 30-mile stretch of Mississippi beaches from Biloxi to Bay St. Louis.

While wildlife officials can't say with certainty the turtles, some endangered, died as a result of the oil spill, the number concerns them.

Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Miss., said Sunday this is typically the time of year when turtles wash up on shore.

Solangi says even though no oil appears to be on the turtles, they may still have been sickened by consuming oil-coated fish. He says that won't be clear until necropsies are performed on Monday.

Some of the dead reptiles are endangered Kemps ridley turtles.

http://www.wdsu.com/news/23423686/detail.html

Audubon Oil Spill Response - Volunteers Needed!

2010-05-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

You can register now to help if needed.

Officials worry as turtle nesting season starts - News

2010-05-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Officials worry as turtle nesting season starts - News

Offshore drilling plan threatens coastal communities, ocean wildlife - Defenders of Wildlife

2010-05-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

Offshore drilling plan threatens coastal communities, ocean wildlife - Defenders of Wildlife

Hands Across the Sand, Opposition to Oil Drilling 3-10 miles offshore

2010-01-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

Event date: February 13, 2010.

In the near future the Citizens of Florida will have an opportunity to show their opposition to oil drilling as close as 3 to 10 miles off our coast. This movement will be made of people of all walks of life and will cross political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our shoreline, our tourism, our valuable properties and our way of life. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting our waterways and beaches from the devastating effects of oil drilling.

Suit challenges longline rule changes

2009-12-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

Changes to longline fishery rules endanger the existence of loggerhead turtles, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday against the National Marine Fisheries Service

Man Who Stole Sea Turtle Eggs Headed To Prison

2009-11-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

A West Palm Beach man has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing sea turtle eggs.

Endangered status sought for loggerhead sea turtles

2009-11-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/state/epaper/2009/10/27/loggerhead.html

SOUTH FLORIDA ENVIRONMENT
Endangered status sought for loggerhead sea turtles
The number of loggerhead sea-turtle nests has plunged in recent years, prompting calls to reclassify the turtles as ``endangered.''
BY PAUL QUINLAN
Palm Beach Post
Loggerhead sea turtles are in a ``dire state,'' with a 40 percent decline in the number of nests counted over the past decade, experts say.
Florida, home to 90 percent of loggerhead nests in the U.S., saw the fourth-worst nesting season on record in 2009, when the number dropped 15 percent, according to the environmental group Oceana.
Scientists at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, who count turtle nests every year on the city's s beaches, can attest to the plunge: Two of the past three years yielded record low counts.
``We're finally getting below 400 nests, which is scary,'' said Kirt Rusenko, a marine conservationist at the center. ``When I first started here 14 years ago, our nest number was more like 900.''
Loggerheads, which hatch from eggs the size of ping pong balls on beaches from Texas to North Carolina, can typically grow shells three feet long and live to be 50 to 60 years old.
Listed as ``threatened'' in 1978 under the Endangered Species Act, loggerheads have continued to struggle under the onslaught of beachfront development and commercial fishing.
As tiny hatchlings, they tend to shuffle their way into the ocean by following the glimmer of stars and moonlight -- so long as they are not led astray by onshore lights. Beach erosion, which is often made worse by seawalls and development along shorelines, leaves the turtles with a smaller area in which they can nest.
Hatchlings that survive the crawl to sea face further peril from longline fishing, which involves cables strung with hooks that can snare the turtles. Improved techniques and tighter regulations have helped reduce the fishing industry's impact on turtles, say experts, although the practice remains the leading threat.
Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Turtle Island Restoration Network are awaiting the federal government's response to their petition to boost protections for loggerhead turtles by reclassifying them from threatened to endangered and creating areas of critical habitat -- all of which could make make building along certain shorelines more difficult for developers.

Vehicles to be banned from Fort Matanzas beach

2009-10-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-10-27/story/vehicles_to_be_banned_from_fort_matanzas_beach

Fewer Sea Turtle Nests On Volusia Co. Coast

2009-10-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.wftv.com/news/21427915/detail.html

62 Cold-stunned Babies Released in Flagler Beach

2009-10-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

This "cold " morning, while on patrol, Libby and Roz came to FB47 which had emerged during the nite and they rescued 62 little hatchlings that had been cold stunned. They were just laying on the beach looking bad. They found 62 of them and Libby took them home to warm up and by 2:30PM they were ready to go go go!!!! Very cool!!!! The nest belongs to Mary Narin.

Thanks, Lori

Sea Turtle Halloween Pumpkin Pattern

2009-10-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf-JAVA/actCtrImg/c01158487.pdf

Courtesy of HP & WWF

More WWF stencils to choose from:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/acProject?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&extcat=halloweenprojects&project=wwfpumpkincarvingstencils

Tell Congress: Sea Turtles Need More Protection to Survive

2009-10-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

The long term survival of sea turtles is in jeopardy because of destructive
fishing practices, habitat degradation and climate change. All six species
found in U.S. waters have spent the last three decades listed as “threatened” or
“endangered” but signs of recovery are few and far between.
Urge your
representatives to support new, comprehensive protections for sea turtles that
will work on the land and at sea. The continued existence of sea turtles
depends on it.
http://takeaction.oceana.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=25228

2009-10-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

FB 44 was cleaned last nite and it was wonderful!! Sophies nest was a great
success!! We released 10 loggerhead hatchlings into a calm ocean and they all
happily swam away to live a seaturtles life. The nest was really successful as a
whole. The total count was 7 live, 3 pipped live( which means that
they were just coming out of the shell when we found them),4 unhatched eggs, 1
egg that looked infertile, 4 that didn't make it and 116 hatched shells. So out
of the 135 eggs that were in your nest a total of 126 baby turtles
made it out of the nest alive. It just doesn't get a whole lot better then
that!! Thank you Sophie for adopting this nest. Sorry you couldn't be
here but we named one of the hatchlings Sophie in your honor. Enjoy the pictures
and hope to see you again next year when you come to visit.
If you have any
questions or want any more information, just email me. I do have some seaturtle
puzzles and information sheets that I can send to you in the mail if you want me
to. Just send me your home address and I will mail it out.

Thank you for loving our seaturtles the way we
do!!!

Lori and the Flagler Turtle Patrol

Leatherback Hatchlings in Ormond Beach

2009-09-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

The leatherback nest in Ormond hatched Sunday. These guys/gals were trapped in roots at the top of the nest. The nest is located just south of the Seminole Beach Approach at 281 S. Atlantic, Ormond Beach, at the MainSail Motel.

Turtle Webcam Records Loggerhead Sea Turtle Hatch in The Keys

2009-08-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.fla-keys.com/turtlecam/

Environmental enthusiasts have been able to observe loggerhead sea turtles
hatching and emerging from their nests, via a live streaming "turtle webcam"
installed on a private beach on Big Pine Key in the Lower Florida Keys.

Leatherback Nest emergence in Flagler Beach

2009-07-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

We have another Leatherback emergence!!!!!!!!!!! B2 emerged Friday!!! WHOO HOOO!!!!! What an awesome emergence it was too!!! The nest was laid on May 29th , Theresa Donatelli and I were the lucky ones to be on patrol that day, and it hatched in 62 days and again Theresa and I were on patrol then too!! Amazing.It is located in Beverly Beach at the walkover with the white stakes on the road!! One baby came out Tuesday and the rest waited till Friday!! The cleaning will be Monday, not sure of the time yet. It is adopted by one of our own!! Pat Smith!! Way to go Pat!! Now we must talk to the Turtle Gods about the Leatherback nest in FB. FB 6, Next to emerge!!! Ramona or I will send out an email about what time the cleaning will be on monday!!! What ever you do, do not let the loggerheads and greens know how excited we are about these LB nests!! They are just as wonderful!!!
Thanks, Lori

The adopter of the nest is Pat Smith, who has been very involved with the teacher's nest adoption program, sponsored by Jane Culpepper. (Thank you, Jane!) Pat has done a great job organizing the paperwork and communicating with teachers, Jane, Beth, and myself. Beth and I decided to award Pat with a very special nest because she has worked so very hard. Thank you, Pat!

Well............... the nest emerged and wouldn't you know it, Pat is out of town for a few days! Pat has asked that Mary Narin, a very interested and enthusiastic teacher represent her at the nest evaluation. Mary has agreed to document the evaluation for Pat.

The nest evaluation will take place Monday evening at 6:30. The nest is located directly across from the pink dome which is north of the Flagler Beach/ Beverly Beach City limit. Hope to see you there!

Leatherback Nest FB1 Excavation

2009-07-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hello Turtle Lovers,
Here are pictures from the cleaning of FB1, our first wonderfully successful Leatherback nest for Flagler Beach in a long time. The debut of 4 live and healthy Leatherback hatchlings was more then I expected and hoped for. But there they were and it was the best. There was a total of 80 eggs in the clutch and there were 52 that hatched. 52 Flagler Beach Leatherbacks headed out to the big wide ocean. How Cool!!
Thank you everyone that came to help.Ramona, thanks for being the great photographer and taking all these wonderful pictures for me. Thank you to Dan, Theresa, Teresa, Thom, Catherine, Barb, Kelly, and Mark for digging to the depths while I deserted you to show off the babies. What a great team we have on our patrol. A big Thanks to everyone that came to help, watch, and be there for this. If you weren't able to make it and are getting these pictures, I am sorry you didn't get to be here but I hope you will enjoy the pictures.
Big Turtle Hugs to all of you guys!!!! Lori

Leatherback rescue on Mantanzas South beach

2009-05-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

Monday morning the Turtle Patrol walking Summerhaven found Leatherback tracks coming up the beach, over the dunes, across old A1A and into the marsh. They could not find the outgoing tracks!!! So looking all around they finally spotted her in the little river between Old A1A and A1A. She was stranded in the flooded area and was heading towards A1A and the ICW. They stopped her from going across the highway and then we all got there and headed her back over the dunes and back to the ocean. The thought of her being in our skinny ICW with so many miles from an inlet and all that Memorial Day boat traffic was too much for us to not guide her back to the ocean. .She was just awesome. We named her Summer and wished her luck on her journey. Unfortunately, it was such a hectic time and we were all in the water up to our waists and necks,just thinking about her safety that we did not get a PIT scan done. She was not huge as leatherbacks go, maybe 700 lbs or so, but she was GREAT!! Took alot of convincing and pushing to get her to go to the ocean and not A1A. Her breathing will live in my heart forever! Great big sighs and great breaths. She was amazing!!That night we did have a new Leatherback nest about 10 miles south of where she was. We are calling it Summers nest !!It was just a most awesome rescue. I am thanking Turtle Mother and the Turtle Gods for letting us help her back and to safety!! Hope you enjoy the pictures!!
Lori

2nd Annual Turtle Fest

2009-04-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

Our “Second Annual Turtle Fest” was held Saturday, April 4, 2009 at Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of A1A & SR 100 in Flagler Beach featuring food, live music from local musicians, environmental exhibits, kids activities, raffle prizes and the release of rehabilitated sea turtles.

This event will be our primary fundraiser for the Turtle Patrols this year and in coming years. We expect it to grow bigger and better each year. This year's event was a HUGE success! Thank you to all who volunteered, participated, donated & attended.

Thank You for your support!

Turtle Fest Sponsors 2009:

Anderson Rentals Inc.

Bahama Mamas

BJ Royster, Artist

Blue

Bob & Jan Shaw

Chicken by the Sea Restaurant

Chrismon’s Cycle Repair

Classic Bowling Supplies, LLC

Drummond Press

Emerald Shores Hotel

Fisherman’s Net

Flagler County Diagnostic Center Inc.

Flagler Fish Company

Flagler Pennysaver

GDS Communications, Inc.

High Jackers Restaurant

Houligans Restaurant

JMJ Tobacco Outlet Inc.

Life Safety Consultants of Michigan

Manny’s Pizza House

Marlene Ludlow

Martins Restaurant & Lounge

Osprey Fishing Charters,

Captain Rob Ottlein

Palm Coast Charters,

Captain Ralph Olivett

Physical Therapist Specialists

Pip’s Beachside Bar & Grill

Publix Super Markets Inc.

SAMS Club

Snyders of Hanover

Southeast Jewelry

Target, Palm Coast

The Seaside Shoppe

Tri City Cycles

Volusia Marks End Of Turtle Nesting Season

2008-09-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Record high number of nests!

http://www.wesh.com/news/17498579/detail.html

Poached Nest FB 74 in Flagler Beach

2008-07-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today on patrol Rosa and I found some devastating evidence of a poached nest. The poachers first went down the N 12th
walkover and went south to FB 69, where they dug for eggs and made a mess in the nest boundry, then they went North and dragged the "light "cooler, evidenced by the really light cooler wheels in the sand, to FB 17. There they dug again,( the nest with blue ribbon.) But they dug in the body pit. So maybe those eggs were saved.Then the dirtbags moved on to FB 74.FB 74 was a relocated nest, from last Tuesday. There were 109 eggs. It was Rosa and I on that day too. They dug down and found the eggs. Then they covered it up. The deep cooler wheel tracks were very obvious. They dragged the cooler to the N 12th St walkover and were gone. GONE WITH 106 OF OUR BABIES EGGS!!! They had broken 3 eggs, so they just left them in the hole. We called Scott Dak the wildlife Officer first, he said that there was not much he could do at this point!!! Called FWCC, they were "oh so sorry" but not much they could do either. Took Flagler Beach Police 1 hour to respond. Gave us a business card with a case number on it!!! But Rosa and I were too heartbroken to stop there!!! We called News 13 and WESH. Well Saul Sines responded first from 13 News. He took pictures and interviewed us. We actually had 8 hatchlings from a nest in Beverly Beach that we had just cleaned. They were in the cooler ready to be released. Had to take them away from Beverly Beach, too many fishermen in that area. So we released them with Saul Sines. He named 2 of them Fred and Isabel. So I think it was Isabel who he held up for the camera and took her picture. It is all supposed to be on the news tonite. Rosa got a call alittle later and Clair Metz met her at the nest to do an interview. Then Channel 9 called me and did a mini phone interview but left his name and number in case any other events happen. What an awful morning!! We really have to be on the look out now. They got eggs and now know how to find them. If it had rained after they had done the awful deed we may not have noticed. But the cooler wheel tracks were the dead give away. Something else for us to really watch for. Looks to us that they were there in the early morning hours. Maybe before safe light.
Sorry to have to send this awful email but say a "turtle prayer" to our Great Turtle Mother for our lost babies.
Thanks, Lori

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2008/7/29/turtle_nests_vandalized_100_eggs_stolen.html

http://www.wesh.com/green-pages/17031479/detail.html