A Little Turtle Know-How
There are many things to love about this beautiful region of our’s – this area that so many flock to in order to play on our white sand beaches and dip their toes in the warm Gulf of Mexico. One of the many, is that we have so many compassionate people who come together to make a lasting impact on the betterment of what we are.
With that in mind we’d like to take a moment and remind each of you – visitor and local alike – to take care of your surroundings. What you may see as an area without a lot of obvious animal activity is brimming with life, or in the case of nesting sea turtles it plays a vital role in their life cycle.
Leaving trash, beach items, or giant holes behind are hazards for wild life. Please don’t trade a few moments of human convenience for the life of an endangered species. Turtle nesting season officially is May-October, with an outlier here and there. As amazing as turtles are – they need a little help from the moonlight to find their way. So human interference, condo lighting, and flashlights on the beach need to be at a bare minimum during this time to allow nature to do as she has always done. Red lights are also a turtle-safe alternative.
Would you like an example of some of those wonderful, compassionate people? Danielle, a rare Kemp’s Ridley turtle was released July 15th 2015 after a rehabilitation period at Gulf World in Panama City Beach, Florida.
She required surgery to repair her esophagus – but the likely juvenile turtle has been released into the wild at an Inlet Beach, beach access. Watch her release in the video below.
Learn more about Gulf World: http://www.gulfworldmarinepark.com
Learn more about South Walton Turtle Watch: http://www.southwaltonturtlewatch.org
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