SEASON 2018 RECAP

This past year we had another season of successful rescue operations, all things considered!  Another very long sea turtle season that lasted March 1st, 2018 into January 2019 season!  A hand full of late-season nests were observed on just a few remaining zones of Broward County. We had several Green Sea Turtle females emerge a bit later in the season. Interestingly, It is not that unusual to have a few late nesting mamas.  However, the viability of the latest nests was less than average; meaning that a high percentage of the latter nests did not hatch out. As per our protocol, our dedication and willingness to persevere through a marathon sea turtle season, we know the hatchlings rely on us at all times. We are always humbled by our volunteers who juggle everything that life can dish out and still make time to give to our beloved sea turtles!  In honor of their hard work, we have provided a summary of their efforts derived from the data they collect, in the field, and the number of hours, dedicated to this endeavor:
 

2018 Season Report

Least we do not forget an arduous Florida Summer of hot, muggy nights and sweat-laden clothes and heavy backpacks bearing down on the shoulders of each volunteer, enduring several miles long turtle patrols, on foot. The data shows that we, fortunately, and through the well-coordinated work of our Zone Leader and Seasonal and New Volunteers alike, arrived at most hatch-outs on time and were able to prevent injury and loss of life for the hatchlings that were disoriented.  The poor babies are almost always confused by our now industrial civilization illuminating coastal nights! To those we didn't arrive to on time, we labored - often for hours - veering here and there on the sand, over the seaweed, through dunes of sand spurs and sea oats, following single tracks of single hatchlings, one after the other, and hopefully locating as many as possible to release into the ocean as they should be! We pulled them out of the roads, out of storm drains, and away from feral cats. Occasionally, we picked tiny corpses up or came across hatchlings barely hanging on to life hours later, as the sun was coming up. We did all that we could humanly do and to the best of our ability. We do it every season and will continue to do it. We will do it next season because we remember each and every time, our efforts will save the precious lives of Sea Turtles! 

The data speaks for itself and we speak for the turtles!:

Hatchlings observed that made it to the ocean unassisted were: 29,655

Hatchlings that disoriented in count/observation: 31,565

Hatchlings that were rescued and released from disorientation: 29,237

Missing in Action, : 2,328

Dead reported: 60

Taken to rehab: 305