Vilano Beach Sea Turtle Patrol

Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Reported by Sacha Martin

There are now 17 loggerhead nests monitored by the Vilano Beach Sea Turtle Patrol, which covers an area of 2.6 miles from the Reef Restaurant to the Porpoise Point jetties.

Sea turtles usually lay their eggs at night under cover of darkness, but this morning the patrollers had the opportunity of seeing a loggerhead mother returning to the ocean after her effort.

Each nest normally contains about 100 eggs and are protected by federal and state statute an the county Habitat Conservation Plan. The same turtle may lay more than one nest during the May 1st to October 31st nesting season. Sea Turtle Patrol members are licensed by the state to mark new nests, monitor the nests, and to do a nest census after the baby turtles have emerged.

The Beach Services Department of the County Recreation and Parks Department coordinates the different area sea turtle patrols. Contact: Scott Eastman, 209-0323

Photo credit: Barbara Reber contributed photograph