The effects of Irma on our beaches
During the hurricane and after its passing, some turtle nests were eroded exposing eggs and hatchlings that were only days away from beginning their journey . Then there were also those hatchlings that did not check the weather report and emerged (as it was their time) during a storm, but being the focused creatures they are, they swam out anyway.
Some of these were washed back in. Hatchlings found at any stage were transported to the Sea Turtle Healing Center at Brevard Zoo (closed to the public, no tours offered) for care and those capable of living in the ocean were taken to south Florida for a boat road to the sargassum, where they gather and live.
Although somewhat sad, this story has been repeated for several million years. As turtle helpers, we continue to work on those things we can have an affect on…environment, commercial fishing, shrimping, water quality in their habitat and education of humans.