Chelonia Mobile: The Turtle Moves

Back in Melbourne Beach, Florida for a much needed summer vacation. It's turtle nesting season!


From the Archie Carr Refuge site:

The twenty mile section of coastline from Melbourne Beach to Wabasso Beach in Florida is the most important nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles in the western hemisphere and the second most important nesting beach in the world. Twenty-five percent of all loggerhead sea turtle and 35% of all green sea turtle nests in the United States occur in this twenty mile zone. Nesting densities of 1,000 nests per mile have been recorded. Approximately half of this area is available for acquisition and four parcels totaling 9.3 miles make up the core area.

I spent the last two nights on the beach, and unlike last year, there was no shortage of turtles. Green sea turtles are on a biennial nesting schedule. Although they were previously laying eggs in even numbered years, last year saw few nests. This year they are back, suggesting that the greens may have altered their cycle.



Thursday night, I walked about 3/4 mile up the beach and back, and confirmed 10 turtles. I assumed they were all loggerheads, but after going to the Sea Turtle Preservation Society headquarters and talking to a representative, I learned about the difference between loggerhead and green turtle tracks. Loggerheads have asymmetrical tracks, and tend to wiggle from side to side as they pull themselves up with alternate flippers. Green turtles tend to have wider tracks which are relatively straight, as they drag themselves up the shore with both flippers together. After learning this, I walked along the beach and was able to identify a number of green turtle tracks. Years ago, at Cornell Vet School, I was lucky enough to dissect a juvenile green turtle that had died accidentally. The turtle's unusual skeletal anatomy and elegant form made it one of my favorite dissections of all time; so I have a bit of a soft spot for green turtles.

I met quite a few people on the beach who were also looking for turtles. Unlike certain MTV reality shows, I try to follow proper turtle etiquette. This means no lights, no flashlights, walk along the waterline, and no disturbing a turtle as she is emerging from the water.

Turtle images are from the STPS website. My own pictures of tracks will follow when I return to Virginia.

My Ice Cream Flavor of the Week: Caramel Turtle, at Moo's in Melbourne Beach
My Beach Reading: Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett