ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — Long before the parking spaces start to fill and the sun is just coming up over wave-splashed sand, the Sea Turtle Trackers start their treks.
Volunteers for the group walk and use a small cart to drive miles of shoreline along St. Pete and Pass-a-Grille beaches. They also patrol some barrier islands, too. It’s a passion.
“I’m a little sea turtle crazy; probably a lot sea turtle crazy,” turtle tracker Paula Tusia said with a laugh. With sea turtle earrings dangling beside her neck and a tattoo on her foot, Tusia literally wears her love for sea turtles from head to toe.
And concern for the turtles is what keeps her coming back to the beach morning after morning. As she drives the cart, her eyes are peeled for signs that a turtle has made a trek, as well.
“We’re looking for evidence that a mamma turtle has come to shore during the night and we’re looking for her tracks,” she said, eyes still trained on the sand.
It is primarily loggerhead turtles that nest on Pinellas beaches. Worldwide, they’re considered an endangered species. It’s estimated that only one in 1,000 of their hatchlings make it to maturity, so Loggerheads need all the help they can get.
“Every egg is precious and we’re trying to do everything we can to protect it,” Tusia said.
On a recent morning, volunteers spotted an unmistakable Loggerhead turtle trail. The two parallel ridges of disturbed sand stand out on the beach. “They have an alternating gait, so they come ashore with flippers that alternate,” explains Tusia, her arms moving like flippers.
The trail leads to a nest in the dunes. The group of volunteers is ecstatic. “It never, ever gets old. It’s so exciting for us to find a nest,” Tusia said.
The turtle trackers put a screen over the nest to protect it from coyotes and they also clearly mark it with posts, warning tape, and signage — so people stay away, too.
The Hurricane restaurant owner Bruno Falkenstein started working to protect sea turtles back in 1978. Over the years, the nest marking, light dimming and awareness have made a difference.
“I can remember when we saw two or three turtle nests,” said Falkenstein, who holds a permit from the state, necessary for the Sea Turtle Trackers’ work. “And now we get 40 to 100. Shell Key the same thing. So, yes, it’s working.”
At the recently discovered nest, hatchlings are expected in 50 or 60 days. It’s a sight to behold. And it’s what makes all the early morning turtle tracking treks worthwhile.
Tusia said, “Making sure this is going to exist for our kids and our kids’ kids; I feel really blessed to be a part of it.”
10 Tampa Bay and our parent company TEGNA’s Foundation are proud to support the Sea Turtle Trackers with a $2,000 grant.