When There Are Heavy Rains or High Tides Washing Over the Sea Turtle Nests, Will They Still Hatch? 

According to sea turtle experts, maybe but not always. Tropical rains can result in nests being “washed over” or “washed out” meaning either the tide briefly sweeps over the nest for a few hours, or that the nest sits with water on top of it for a day. A turtle nest has a pocket of air at the top of the egg clutch and the eggs are porous. The nest “breathes” and a wash over can interfere with the air circulation drowning the nest. Sea turtle eggs absorb water and hatchlings can drown before they emerge. 

How About Relocating the Nest That Is Close to The Waterline to Higher Ground? 

Sea Turtle experts say that it was the sea turtle’s choice to nest where it did and due to sea turtle research, it is better to let them be and let nature do its thing. 

During these powerful storms, Lake Madeira has created runoffs and gullies bisecting JW’s beachfront property—guessing that side is slightly lower. The sand around the lake is noticeably darker than the rest of the beach indicating that algae is starting to grow. 

What Exactly Does A Sea Turtle Monitor Do on The Beach During Sea Turtle Season?  

They are under the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) permit. Usually in a team of two, both Yesi Olvera and Kath patrol the beach every day during sea turtle season (April – October). They ride their ATVs the length of Marco’s beach looking for turtle tracks that will lead to a nest made the night before. When they spot a nest, they mark it with wooden stakes and yellow tape and measure its location to protect it from public traffic such as beach raker, permitted vehicles, beach vendors and visitors to the beach. They also check existing nests and look for signs of false crawls and hatchling disorientations. They make sure that nests are not disturbed by humans.