- April 29, 2025
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Although the sea turtle nesting season doesn’t officially start until May 1, Longboat Key Turtle Watch volunteers started patrolling the beaches on April 15.
Nesting sea turtles don’t always follow the May 1 start date and sometimes start earlier. Last year, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium recorded the first nest of the season in Venice on April 28, 2024.
Longboat Key Turtle Watch Vice President Cyndi Seamon said the group has been conducting the pre-season patrols for about five years, as directed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, for that reason.
Volunteers with Longboat Key Turtle Watch did not spot any early nesters as of April 18, but Seamon said some members are spotting potential areas of concern.
Those concerns included lights visible from the beach, beach furniture left out, and holes left by beachgoers.
Lights visible from the beach can lead to a disorientation of nesting and hatching sea turtles. The turtles can become confused by the artificial lights and enticed away from the ocean toward properties or roads.
Longboat Key property owners don’t need to comply with the sea turtle protection ordinances until May 1, so Seamon said volunteers focus more on education during the pre-season patrols.
“When we first start out, sometimes we can see some possible lighting issues, and you know, we'll ask, but people officially don't need to make any corrections until May 1,” Seamon said.
Other issues volunteers spotted were areas with less dune coverage, where lights further away from the beach may be more visible than in previous years. Hurricane Helene’s storm surge altered the beach face, creating a flatter beach in some areas.
Another issue worrying Seamon were pools, some empty, that do not have fences around the pool. That could pose a problem, Seamon said, if turtles become disoriented and end up falling into those pools.
Along with early morning patrols, Longboat Key Turtle Watch volunteers also boost public outreach with regular social media posts and canvassing the island to spread educational materials to resorts and other properties.
Seamon extended the offer for educational materials and said Longboat Key Turtle Watch is available for property owners and residents.
“If somebody reaches out during the season and asks for more materials, we certainly do that,” she said.
From now to the end of the nesting season, Longboat Key Turtle Watch will work closely with the town’s code enforcement department and large properties like hotels and resorts to educate the island community and ensure compliance with the ordinances.
“It's definitely a team effort,” Seamon said.
Chapter 100 of the town’s code outlines the sea turtle protection ordinances “to provide protection for nesting marine turtles and their hatchlings during marine turtle nesting season while maintaining lighting standards necessary for public safety and security.”
This includes mitigating light visible from the beach with shielding, blinds, turtle-friendly fixtures, window tints or turning the lights off.
Seamon said some of the commonly forgotten lights are lanai and patio lights.
“It seems like the light that gets forgotten a lot is the one that's on the lanai,” Seamon said. “It gets turned on during the day, and nobody even knows it's on.”
Other forgotten changes include beach chairs left on the beach and holes dug by beachgoers. Seamon emphasized the importance of filling in holes made on the beach, as nesting or hatching turtles could fall into the hole and become trapped.
While many properties will begin the necessary switches over the coming weeks, Seamon said Longboat Key Turtle Watch notices some maintain turtle-friendliness year-round.
“There are some places that don't change the lights out. They've gotten accustomed to it, so it's less work for people,” Seamon said. “That way, people just are kind of getting a routine.”
Longboat Key Turtle Watch hosts public beach walks in June and July for anyone interested. For more information, visit LBKTurtleWatch.com.
