Turtle Season: Day 1

And we're off! Turtle season officially begins today, and I do NOT want to roll out of bed at 5 am. Why is it that waking up at the same time on Saturday as you do on a Monday just seems illegal?

But I made it! I'm on the beach in my AMI Turtle Watch T-shirt, my sparkling new permit in my hand. I can feel the anticipation. It's a little dark when I arrive, so I sit on a bench next to the Manatee Beach cafe, waiting for the sun to reach as far as my side of the island.

As soon as the sunrise ekes into the western reaches of the sky, I hit the beach. Scanning, scanning. Up and down the beach. Eureka! I found a track...nope just the trail of a lonesome cooler with human prints behind it.

I continue about 100 feet, picking up plastic shovels, beer cans (and bottles), plastic everything--including a package from a pair of infant swimmy wings.

Before I'm done, I've found more than 20 beach chairs left overnight, filled in 8-10 holes, and lugged a grocery bag full of trash to the end of my designated mile. But it's all worth it. I even made some friends along the way. First were the shorebirds--an oystercatcher and several terns. I love the Wilson's plovers that dot the shoreline. They "cheep. cheep. cheep." when others walk (or run) too closely. Next, I spoke with a spring visitor who proudly declared "We know all about the turtles," and he promised to alert his fellow condo dwellers that the season had arrived.

Finally, I make my way back. As I attempt to fill in what I will forever call a "human body pit,"** another beachcomber asks to take a picture of my shirt. Sure. As she walks away, she promises to help fill in holes, too.

I'm reassured by the kindness of those on the beach with me. People don't mean to be insensitive or ignorant of the needs of sea turtles and other creatures. They just need to be educated. When people see the beauty of Anna Maria Island, of course, they can't resist its charms. But they also want to protect it, so it will stay this way forever.

All we need is a little help.

**In a pre-nesting ritual, turtles will make a pit that conforms to their body size and shape. At times, they will pit and leave. At other times, the pit is the first stage of nesting. The "human body pit" is a massive hole people dig (for who knows what reason) to sit in and throw soda cans, cigarette butts and packages, and potato chip bags around. Left uncovered, it is the perfect size to capture a mother or hatchling and result in death in the hot Florida sun.