Tag: Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association

Turtle Patrol: 235 of 313 nests gone after Debby, could have been worse

BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY On August 4 and 5, Debby was “only” a tropical storm when she scooted up the gulf more than 100 miles to our west; as we know, she became a Category 1 hurricane...

Turtle Patrol: Review of the season on the arrival of Hurricane Debby

BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY Editor’s Note: Arlene Hall filed this report before surveying damage from Hurricane Debby. An update on damage is on the front page; she will have a full report...

Brown noddy of course, off course

No nesting birds lost during Debby; sea turtles not so lucky There were several sea turtle nests on island that were impacted by Hurricane Debby, but the good news is that the nesting peak came...

Turtle Patrol: Reporting on how we report, plus ‘hidden’ disturbances

BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY As I’ve mentioned in this column on many occasions, one important aspect of our duties as BGSTA turtle patrollers is to collect data for FWC. We not only...

Turtle report: Not at loggerheads about whether it’s a loggerhead

BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY Almost daily on my turtle patrols, I’m approached by someone on the beach with questions about sea turtles and what we do for them. Two of the most common...

Turtle report: Thought it was false crawl, turned out to be bona fide!

BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY When people learn that I volunteer with BGSTA’s Turtle Patrol, so many of them say how much they would love to do that too, so I figured I would bring you along...

Turtle report: Disoriented hatchlings don’t need blazing lights on beach

BY ARLENE HALLBGSTA SECRETARY Last week, I mentioned that our earliest loggerhead nests had started to hatch. Generally, loggerhead nests will incubate for 45 to 70 days. If the nests are up...

Turtle report: Please stop pulling up yellow stakes protecting nests

BY ARLENE HALLBGSTA SECRETARY The most exciting part of turtle nesting season began last week, when hatchlings from the first couple of loggerhead nests started emerging from the sand. With...

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: From Illinois crime lab to turtle volunteer, Arlene Hall

Her byline in the Beacon should be enough of a clue that Arlene Hall is someone worth getting to know. She is the one who has been writing about the happenings with the Boca Grande Sea Turtle...

Turtle report: Nest predators appear this week, snacking on eggs

BY ARLENE HALLBGSTA SECRETARY At long last, the first green sea turtle crawl was documented on Gasparilla Island during the week ending June 22nd! It turned out to be a nest and it occurred on...