Patrol volunteers spot first turtle nest of the season

Scott Eastman reported to Historic City News that Sea Turtle Patrol volunteers Tom Barry and George DeMarino spotted the first loggerhead turtle nest of the season at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve early this morning.

In April the volunteers began monitoring and evaluating this season’s sea turtle nests on the beach, seven days a week.

“Tom and George have been volunteering since the turtle patrol program began and they are both very dedicated,” said Shannon Rininger, volunteer coordinator at the Research Reserve. “George drives from Mandarin; arriving at 5:00 a.m. to prepare for his morning patrol.”

Loggerhead turtles are the most abundant of all the marine turtle species in domestic waters.

During the three months or so that a female loggerhead breeds, she will travel hundreds of miles to nest, lay more than 35 pounds of eggs, and swim back to her home foraging area, all without eating anything significant.

From hatchling to adult, a loggerhead increases its weight more than 6,000 times.

In addition to patrolling the beaches at the Research Reserve, the volunteers educate the community about sea turtles from direct contact on the beach and through the lecture series. They also inform the public about the hazards of night-time activities, along with aiding injured sea turtles and returning them to their natural habitat.

For more information about volunteering for the Sea Turtle Patrol program, contact Shannon Rininger at 904-823-4500.