CLEARWATER, Fla. — More than two months after Hurricane Idalia hit Florida, we're just now getting a look at the impact the storm had on our sea turtle nests.
In Florida, sea turtle hatchling season runs from March to October. When Hurricane Idalia made landfall in late August, environmentalists were relieved to know only one storm, late in the hatchling season, was impacting the nests.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium reports this year, there were fewer nests laid compared to 2022. There were 227 nests were observed this year, compared to 313 last year, and 240 false crawls.
"And with those nests, we were able to save and help out 12,000 hatchlings into the water," Carly Oakley, a full-time employee with CMA's sea turtle patrol said.
While the majority of the nests laid this season successfully hatched and made it to the water, the nests remaining when Idalia hit had less favorable odds. Before Idalia came through, from Dunedin to Treasure Island, there were 75 unhatched sea turtle nests. After the storm hit, only 14 of them survived.
For the 61 nests that didn't make it through Idalia, the high waters washed them out, or compacted the sand too severely for the turtles to crawl through.
"With the water levels coming up as high as it did, it did take out a lot of the elevation of our beaches as well as our dune line," Oakley explained. "So when it takes out that sand, it also takes out the eggs and the clutches as well."
During nesting and hatchling season, CMA has a team of 27 staff and volunteers that monitor a 21-mile stretch of beach.
"Without these special animals, we don't have the opportunity of showing our future generations what they can do and the special place that they could also hold in their heart," Oakley said.
While hatchling season ended on Oct. 31, CMA is always encouraging residents and tourists to know how to help our turtles through nesting and hatchling season.
Keep lights off near the beach to avoid confusing turtles who use the moonlight to guide their journey to and from the water. Flatten sand castles before you leave the beach so they don't become a mountain of an obstacle for a hatchling trying to get to the water. Fill in any holes you dig so a baby sea turtle doesn't get stuck.
The most important thing to remember is to always call your local stranding hotline if you see hatchlings headed in the wrong direction or if you see anyone harassing a nesting female.
“There is always someone on call 24/7 and ready to respond to any event that’s needed,” Oakley said. The CMA number is (727) 441-1790, ext. 1.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.