What is a Sea Turtle False Crawl?

For the week of June 14-20, 2022, Marco sea turtle monitors recorded 111 false crawls versus 94 from the same time period last year. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a false crawl results from an abandoned nesting attempt.

What causes false crawls? According to sea turtle scientists, when a sea turtle crawls ashore and does not lay eggs, it may be due to lights from condo buildings discouraging a female from finding a suitable dark place to lay its eggs; people on the beach with flashlights; beach debris such as trash, beach towels, tents, umbrellas, chairs or a sand sculpture left on the beach.