Lights out! Turtle nesting season underway
May 16, 2011 6:27 PM EDT
FORT MYERS BEACH - Dozens of homeowners and businesses are putting turtles in danger on Fort Myers Beach. Nesting season is in full swing and anyone caught shining a light onto the beach should prepare to pay up!
The only lights you should see glowing on Fort Myers Beach this time of year are the red lights glowing from Keith Laakonnen's ATV as he searches for homes and businesses with lights that could kill baby sea turtles.
"All it can take is one light to be on and cause disorientation of a sea turtle - which ultimately result in a turtle's death," said Keith Laakonnen, an environmental specialist with the town of Fort Myers Beach.
We rode along with Laakonnen as he inspected Fort Myers Beach. And just over a mile into the six-mile trip, we had found nearly 20 violations.
During their trip down the beach, town officials found at least 60 lights that were not turtle friendly.
One of them was at the Mermaid Bar. But the owner there says that as soon as they learned they were not in compliance, they fixed the problem right away.
Electricians have also been on-hand, installing filters on the streetlights because even their glow could be seen all the way from the beach.
And after losing hundreds of hatchlings last year to disorientation, biologists and turtle advocates aren't letting their guard down.
Lynne Crews is one of those advocates, and says she has no pity for people who leave their lights on during turtle season.
"They have so many things against them anyway, that there are things you can do to help and people just don't care," Crews said.
Warnings are still being given on Fort Myers Beach, but biologists will comb the beach again this week to see who's still not in compliance.
If residents choose not to comply again, citations will be handed out.
By Katie Johnson
NBC News
0 comments:
Post a Comment