Turtle Time Begins!

Welcome to my Sanibel Island Blog.  We have been living here full time for almost two years now. Sanibel has proven to be a truly wonderful place to call home.  In this blog, I will share the unique and special events that define the Island and the folks who live here.

Today I am excited because my training to become a permittee for the Sea Turtle Monitoring Program with SCCF (Sanibel Captiva Conservation Society) begins this week. I have wanted to be involved in conservation for this endangered species and living on Sanibel is perfect for easy involvement.

Last summer Michael and I volunteered to walk a zone on the East end of the Island. This meant getting up before dawn to be down on the beach by sunrise.

Walking our section of beach at sunrise

 It's important to arrive before the Island starts to awaken, but no matter, there was always someone walking, fishing, jogging or setting up for a day at the beach! As we walked our section, we looked for signs of loggerhead turtle tracks. Loggerhead turtles are the most common sea turtle to nest on our beaches. Most days were unproductive- no signs of false crawls where the female comes ashore but fails to lay eggs,

False Crawl Loggerhead Turtle Sanibel

 No signs of successfully laid nests. By mid season however there were about four nests in our small section of beach to monitor for the program.

Marked and Monitored

It was a great experience and I was eager to expand my participation. So this year, I am in training to do more. I'll share my experience as it unfolds and it should be rewarding and educational. Come along with me on this journey and learn more about sea turtles and Sanibel Island, Florida!

Loggerhead Sea Turtle