Sea Turtle Patrol Set to Begin April 15 on Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring (AMITWSBM) is preparing to start the 2025 sea turtle nesting season with turtle patrols beginning on April 15. Although the official start of nesting season is May 1st, in recent years, the first nests have been found on Anna Maria Island in April.
In 2024, there were 685 nests and 835 false crawls, all from loggerhead sea turtles. This was a record number of nests laid in one season. AMITWSBM documented 284 nests hatched and 20,633 hatchlings were produced! They are hoping for another big season this year.
Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton wiped out a lot of sea turtle nests last year and decimated the vegetation and dune system on Anna Maria Island. Dunes and vegetation block artificial light from being seen from the beach and create a barrier for sea turtles. This year, lights that had not been an issue in years past have potential to disorient sea turtles and without dunes, in many areas, sea turtles will have direct access to the road.
AMITWSB want to be proactive and prevent sea turtles from wandering into the road towards artificial light. People can use red or amber (turtle-friendly bulbs) and shields, block the lights, or shut them off.
AMITWSB have developed a few options to help the Anna Maria Island community educate visitors this summer:
- The Inaugural Sea Turtle Nesting Season Kickoff Party deemed “Suzi Fox Day” in honor of our founder, Suzi Fox, will be held on May 1st from 3pm – 6pm at Coquina Beach Lifeguard Tower #9. There will be FREE outreach materials and turtle friendly light bulbs, an educational booth, games and activities for kids, and music by Mike Sales.
- Anna Maria Island businesses and properties can order FREE outreach materials to hand out to guests or post in rooms. These materials, like rack cards, door hangers, posters, and window clings, educate visitors about how to protect sea turtles and shorebirds on AMI. Please visit https://islandturtlewatch.com/get-involved/educate/ to request the outreach materials of your choice. Materials can also be picked up at Suzi Fox Day!
- Sea Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts talks are back starting May 5th! These fun and educational presentations put on by AMITWSB volunteers will be held May – August at Holmes Beach City Hall on Mondays from 10am – 11am.
Sea turtles are federally protected by the Endangered Species Act and by state and local laws. If you see a sea turtle in distress on Anna Maria Island, please call AMITWSBM at 941-301-8434 or FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. For more information or ways to help protect nesting sea turtles and shorebirds, please visit www.islandturtlewatch.com.