Sad News for South Walton Turtle Nest No. 1

[Walton Outdoors]

Photo courtesy South Walton Turtle Watch Group

Loggerhead turtle nest washed over by high surf

The first turtle nest of the season in Seacrest has been compromised due to high surf conditions May 23.​

According to Sharon Maxwell from South Walton Turtle Watch, a turtle nest stops development if it is washed over more than three times. With high surf conditions, the Gulf waters have been up to the sand dunes.

Time will tell, and the group will monitor and dig when it reaches full development at 80 days.

For more information about our local turtle watch group, go to: www.seaturtlewatch.com​

 

[sunspotbaby]

Aww...

 

[Danny Burns]

I guess it should have been moved further up the dunes.

 

[Valerie L]

Actually, this nest hatched out a few cute little guys July 24 and 25. Great news and now we know more by letting nature do what it does best!

 

[Imatrucountrygirl]

KUDOS to the little guys.... I was involved in Turtle Watch Bay County, some years back.. and would love to participate in Walton, just live too FAR north.... happy happy dance for the turtles....

 

[Lynnie]

This is fabulous news!!!! Wahoo -

 

[Relay_Jen]

Great news! So glad the high surf didn't harm them.

 

[wrobert]

Photo courtesy South Walton Turtle Watch Group

Loggerhead turtle nest washed over by high surf

The first turtle nest of the season in Seacrest has been compromised due to high surf conditions May 23.​

According to Sharon Maxwell from South Walton Turtle Watch, a turtle nest stops development if it is washed over more than three times. With high surf conditions, the Gulf waters have been up to the sand dunes.

Time will tell, and the group will monitor and dig when it reaches full development at 80 days.

For more information about our local turtle watch group, go to: www.seaturtlewatch.com​

I thought turtle watch could relocate those nests to prevent that sort of thing from happening.

 

[ShallowsNole]

I don't know if they can or not, but I don't imagine it is in the best interests of the babies. And if water has been coming to the foot of the dunes, doesn't sound there would have been a safe place anyway.

Come to think of it, when the Inlet Beach driving access was closed, the story was that it was closed due to a turtle nest. If they could relocate them, that would have been a good time to do so. Or perhaps there was not a nest at all, and that's just what everyone was told. :roll:

 

[wrobert]

I don't know if they can or not, but I don't imagine it is in the best interests of the babies. And if water has been coming to the foot of the dunes, doesn't sound there would have been a safe place anyway.

Come to think of it, when the Inlet Beach driving access was closed, the story was that it was closed due to a turtle nest. If they could relocate them, that would have been a good time to do so. Or perhaps there was not a nest at all, and that's just what everyone was told. :roll:

Doesn't make sense though. I understood from Beachsio that it was a sole source contract, for 80K a year, cause Sharon was the only one qualified to move turtle nests and that was some sort of a federal requirement. Now scooter or goodwitch one posted that all you had to do to get the permit was take high school marine biology, so it sort of shot down the sole source argument, but still does not explain why they were not moved.

What I find strange is local democrats have nothing to say about us spending 80K a year and the turtles still appear to be dying. I had always looked to them in the past to protect us from ourselves. I guess they have given up also.