Florida: Anna Maria Island, A Sea Turtle Summer.

Family Travel Files Ezine Family Vacations Resource

Florida: Anna Maria Island, A Sea Turtle Summer. By Andrew Der

Lucky for us, our summer family vacation to Anna Maria Island corresponded with the hatching of hundreds of tiny sea turtles. Even luckier, immediately after check in we discovered a protected nest directly in front of our oceanfront apartment balcony.

We have seen nests marked off in the sand before but this time was different. We knew about how the mother sea turtle returns to there place of birth to lay eggs and how they must hatch in the total absence of artificial light to navigate to the ocean - but never in the day time so as to avoid being sea gull food.

The local visitor’s bureau directed us to the volunteer office of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, Inc. We learned even more about sea turtles and were inducted into their organization as temporary nest monitors. Once part of the local turtle culture, we even had a chance to view a planned release of hatchlings at another beach. Accustomed to such experiences only on TV nature shows, seeing this event for real was something we will never forget.

We learned that these already endangered species would be a lot worse off if it weren’t for an army of diligent volunteers assuring that the eggs hatch properly. These midwives, and “midhusbands”, of the surf also return to count all the hatched eggs, rescue any stragglers and report all the results to the governing regulatory agency which gives the permits to the volunteers – touching these cute and magnificent creatures is otherwise illegal.

Our sea turtle summer began to take shape. Armed with their deputized mission of nest monitoring, my children, Drew and Susan, ten and eight years old respectively, diligently checked the nest for signs of activity every night. As we were talking about how cool it would be if it hatched while we were here, two nights before we left, we observed surface sand movement in the afternoon and Turtle Watch quickly arrived with their donated ATV. Loyal residents and visitors joined the volunteers for the baby sitting well into the evening. By 8:00 PM, a sunken hole had formed in the sand and little subsurface flippers could be seen twitching at intervals.

Building lights were strategically off and one was quickly reminded how even starlight, the turtles’ beacon, provides ample illumination once the eyes adjust. Drew and Susan sat faithfully nest-side the whole time. What amazed me the most was their ability to voluntarily sit quietly and motionless for hours. Turtles were able to do what I could not. Under turtle-invisible red beam flashlights, the creatures increased their bouts of fits and starts but failed to trigger the threshold needed to begin the instinctive chain reaction of a nest-synchronized exodus. Finally, at about 9:30 PM, labor ceased and delivery occurred.

As if on cue, they spilled forth from their sandy womb like a heard of tarantulas, to the squealing delight of children and adults alike. Drew likened it to a horror movie without the horror and realized this was a rare experience. Spreading into a fan-shaped flow of crawling reptilian carpet, they enveloped many of the bystanders requiring everyone to stand where they were to avoid accidentally stepping on the tykes. We will always remember the tickling of their proportionally large flippers as they crawled over our bare feet toward their water refuge. While interaction with humans is kept to a minimum, some stragglers needed redirecting and coaxing in the right direction. Susan very diligently led one apprehensive turtle in particular to its appropriate destination by pretending to be its mother. Other bystanders herded the rest as necessary. In about 20 minutes, all that was left on the beach was the occasional ghost crab, the gurgling of the surf and a silent breeze.

Experience provided by Andrew Der (and Drew Shelton-Der, Susan Shelton-Der & Teresa Shelton)

Details

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, Inc. 1(941) 778-1435 or www.islandturtles.com

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road
P.O. Box 839 Sanibel, Florida 33957-0839, 1(239) 472-2329 or www.sccf.org/turtle.htm

Marine Lab of Sarasota. Adopt a sea turtle. www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us/~jerris/turtles/sea_turtle_rrc.phtml

Sea Turtle Conservation & Research. MML1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, 34236. 1(941) 388-4331 or www.mote.org

General Information

Florida Conservation Service. For a list of the statewide locations with permits to conduct turtle walks as well as a map of the walk locations go to http://floridaconservation.org

North Florida Fish & Wildlife Service. http://northflorida.fws.gov/SeaTurtles/turtle-facts-index.htm

Caribbean Conservation Corporation. . Adopt a sea turtle. The Caribbean Conservation Corporation has several named turtles with satellite transmitters attached to the back of their shells. This allows us to use space age technology to learn more about their migratory behavior. When you adopt a satellite-tagged turtle, you can track the turtle's movements through our website! 4424 NW 13th St. Suite #A1
Gainesville, 32609. 1(352) 373-6441, 1-800-678-7853 or www.cccturtle.org

SeaTurtle.org. This non-profit web-based NGO, aims to provide instant public access to pioneering research into the migrations of sea turtles and other marine animals using state-of-the-art satellite telemetry(3). The project is the result of collaboration with the UK's Marine Turtle Research Group(4) and a consortium of conservation organizations and donors. Michael Coyne SEATURTLE.ORG, Silver Spring, MD 1(301) 221-9952, mcoyne@seaturtle.org or www.seaturtle.org

Sea Turtle Hot Line. If you find a dead or injured sea turtle 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).

Chelonia is children's sea turtle story book developed in collaboration with Dawn Navarro of Manta Publications. It has been translated to Spanish and distributed to schools and libraries throughout California and Baja California to share a pro-turtle conservation message. The Spanish translation and distribution was generously supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Copies can be found through many online booksellers, or at the annual ISTS auction! Copyright: Sea Challengers Press

More Florida Family Adventures

Florida: Sebastian, Making a Turtle Quest. During the summer months sea turtles return to the beach of their birth to deposit eggs and complete the circle of life. For a lucky few, there is the possibility of seeing firsthand the ancient nesting ritual of a sea turtle. Our night quest was awesome.

Florida: Steinhatchee Landing. Bay Scalloping with the Kids. Summertime means scalloping season in Florida’s Gulf waters and it also means family vacations. Scalloping is the perfect activity for a family vacation because scallops are found in shallow, grassy areas, providing easy targets for children. Steinhatchee Landing Resort, a unique retreat of homes and villas resembling a 19^th Century Southern village, is located just minutes from some of the best bay scalloping in the United States.

Family Vacations Florida: Stuart, Vacation Treasures for Families. The southernmost section of Florida’s Treasure Coast is uncrowded, easy-paced and naturally beautiful. From the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway to the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee family vacation treasures abound. The South Treasure Coast (defined as Martin County on the Florida map) is located at the southern tip of the Indian River Lagoon, a 156-mile long estuary that stretches from Ponce de Leon Inlet to Jupiter Inlet.

Florida: Space Coast, Naturally Cool. I wondered, as my kayak glided along the Nyami Nyami River, if making eye contact with a placid looking white rhino was a smart idea. Why I had not learned more about the habits of white rhinos?

Florida: Naples, Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club – Tennis, Golf, and Beach Klub 4 Kids.
Families looking for a carefree beach vacation experience where it is easy to unwind, have fun and rejuvenate will find The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club ideal. Sun, sand, golf, tennis and a spa plus a family friendly, attentive staff to take care of the details, sounds like the perfect family vacation recipe.

Florida: Naples, Family Vacation Ideas - Beaches, Swamp Buggies and Sea Shells
Egrets and alligators, miles of shopping and fairways, friendly museums and toe tempting beaches, fine dinning and unbelievable sunsets -- they have it all in Naples according to Leona Wren-Faust. That is why it is a perfect vacation spot for her and it works for her whole family too.

Florida: Space Coast, Port of Call Canaveral – Surfing, Kayaking, Baseball and a Cruise.
Consider arriving early or staying on for the fun. One trip, two vacations, and twice the fun, the rich diversity of activity choices makes Canaveral a "bonus" port of call for families on vacation. It is the perfect launch spot for vacation experiences that span the gamut from high tech space tours, fine arts, and theatre to really wild experiences like turtle sighting, swamp skimming, bird watching and stargazing. So what will it be?

Florida: Fort Myers/Naples, SunStream Hotels & Resorts - A Spring Break Family Vacation Solution.
Feel the need to soak up the sun? Want a few days of down time at the beach or on the links? Both Fort Myers Beach – voted "Best Family-Friendly Beach in the Southeast U.S." by Family Fun magazine – and Naples – named "America’s Best All-Around Beach" by The Travel Channel – are known for their vast recreational opportunities and powdery sands lapped by the playful waves of Gulf of Mexico. Spring break can be easy.

Florida: Naples, Going to the Zoo Day or Night.
Caribbean Gardens, the Zoo in Naples offers families oodles of great activities in a tropical paradise. Comfortable and truly attentive to families, the grounds showcase a variety of endangered animals and provide excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing as well as interactive learning. It is an ideal setting for a family field trip with plenty of spaces for a picnic too. More

FAMILY VACATION IDEAS

Bellasera Hotel

One of Florida’s top 10 hidden gems and best bargains. Stay three nights get the fourth night for free! [Read More]