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First Hatch of 2025 on AMI!
Bradenton Magazine
Bradenton Magazine

First Hatch of 2025 on AMI!

Sea Turtles 6/28/2025 – 7/4/2025

Nests this week: 65 (63 loggerhead, 2 green)
False Crawls this week: 79 (77 loggerhead, 2 green)
2025 Total Nests: 408 (399 loggerhead, 9 green)
2025 Total False: Crawls 689 (671 loggerhead, 18 green)
2025 Adult Disorientations:23 (22 loggerhead, 1 green)

2025 Hatched Nests: 2 (2 loggerhead, 0 green)

First Hatch of 2025 on AMI!

Exciting news! We had our first nests hatch this week on Anna Maria Island, so hatching season has officially begun! Two of the first nests laid on the island hatched Thursday (see attached photo) and both were good hatches that appeared to go directly to the water. Now that hatching season has begun, if you see a hatchling turtle going towards the water, please let it crawl so it can get it’s body stretched out and ready for a long swim. If you see a hatchling going away from the water or in danger of any kind, please call our AMITW Hotline 941-301-8434 and a permitted volunteer or staff member will respond 24/7 during hatching season.  Please do not handle hatchlings unless you are taking them out of danger and please do not put turtles directly in the water as they are air-breathing reptiles, and if they are injured or tired, they may not be able to swim. 

Hatching season also means that it’s time for nest inventories. AMITW conducts nest inventories 3 days after a nest hatches. We dig up the contents of the nest to determine how many eggs hatched and sometimes, we find a straggler hatchling in the nest. If you see us on patrol and we are conducting a nest inventory, feel free to come up and watch and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have! These are fun to watch as you never know what you’ll find!

Turtle In the Road

This week we also had a big scare! A very large nesting loggerhead turtle had wandered down a beach access onto the road and traveled down Magnolia Avenue instead of back to the water. Fortunately, a driver spotted her and called the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office who immediately contacted AMITW. With the help of a Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy,  AMITW patrollers were able to assist the turtle back down the street and safely back into Tampa Bay. We are working with the local code enforcement to address the light that may have led her astray. 

Keep Sea Turtles Safe this Holiday Weekend!

While you are enjoying the holiday weekend on the beach, before you place your tents and chairs, please be on the lookout for new turtle crawls! A turtle crawl looks like tractor tires coming out of the ocean traveling up the beach and then back to the water. If you see a new crawl that has not been attended to, give it some room so that turtle patrol can find and document it when they come by. Turtle patrollers start at dawn but if there are a lot of new turtle crawls to attend to, may not finish patrol for several hours. Also, this holiday weekend, remember the Do’s and Don’ts for sea turtles: 

Do:

  • Shield or turn off outdoor lights that are visible on the beach and close drapes after dark.
  • Remove all beach furniture and toys from the beach at night.
  • Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles that may impede hatchlings on their way to the water.
  • Respect posted areas.  Keep away from nesting areas and use designated walkways.
  • Place trash in its proper place and do not feed wildlife.  Food scraps attract predators such as racoons and crows to the beaches.  Litter on beaches can entangle birds and turtles.
  • If you encounter a nesting turtle, remain quiet and observe from a distance.
  • Call AMITW at 941-301-8434 or FWC at 888-404-3922 if you find a turtle (adult or hatchling) in distress.
  • Spread the word!  If you see people disturbing nesting birds, sea turtles, or nest sites, gently remind them how their actions may hurt the animals’ survival.  If they continue to disturb, please call and report their activities to FWC’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Do Not:

  • Use flashlights, cellphones, flash photography or fishing lamps on the beach.
  • Encourage a turtle to move while nesting or pick up hatchlings that have emerged.
  • Use fireworks on the beach. Lights from sparklers and fireworks and disorient sea turtles.
  • Approach nesting turtles or emerging hatchlings, make noise, or shine lights at turtles.

Dozens of hatchling tracks are seen coming from this nest, indicating that the first nest hatched overnight. Credit: Linda O’Neal

Turtle patrol has been challenging this week with lots of morning thunderstorms. Patrollers were heading for cover when they saw this waterspout this week. Credit: Andrea Cramer

This loggerhead turtle was rescued by AMITW patrollers after she wandered out a beach access, across South Bay Blvd and down Magnolia Avenue. Credit: Karen Anderson

AMI patroller found this large hole left overnight on the beach on AMI. Holes like these are dangerous to both sea turtles and humans! Please fill your holes so they don’t trap or injure sea turtles on the beach at night!  Credit: Bill Booher

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