Humans challenge sea turtles in many ways
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL
Because a hatchling sea turtle is smaller than these beach toys and mini sand castles, it may not be able to find its way around them to the relative safety of Gulf waters.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL
These bicycles will not likely remain overnight at the beach to cause problems for sea turtles going to and from the Gulf but many other items owned by humans will be left to block the way.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL
Beach chairs often remain long after their owners have left the beach for the day. These need to be removed before sunset for the protection of nesting and hatching sea turtles during the May 1-Oct. 31 season.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL
As the sun begins to go lower in the sky, these beachgoers pack up their chairs and umbrella for the coming nighttime hours when sea turtles could be nesting or hatching. Both occur at this time of year.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL
Hopefully, the owners of these items will remove them from the beach before dusk.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL
Even these little beach toys can hamper a nesting or hatching sea turtle going to or from the water on local beaches.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL
Brodie Schwartz, 9, builds a sand castle around his own body on a recent day at the Venice Beach. When he leaves the beach for the day, he will destroy the castle to leave the beach as smooth as he found it for the safety of nesting and hatching sea turtles.
In the previous edition of Our Town, there was a story about endangered sea turtles injured or even killed because of human negligence such as fish hooks and mono-filament fishing line cast adrift in the water or plastic bags or chairs in the path of turtles coming and going at the beach.
These photos show many other hazards that can lead to disorientation or even death as sea turtles come and go from area beaches during Sea Turtle Nesting Season, May 1-Oct. 31.
