Anna Maria, Florida – Over 50 turtle hatchlings were found dead on Anna Maria Island on the west coast of Florida last week. The baby animals didn't make it to the ocean, most likely because they were disoriented by artificial light.
"It was just crushing to see so many dead turtles in the road; there were over 50 hatchlings dead in the road," Kristen Mazzarella, the director of the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, told local news station WWSB.
"Our nighttime team took the call; they went out, and they collected a number of hatchlings.”
The baby loggerhead turtles were found on one of the island's coastal roads, headed in the wrong direction.
"I have never seen that many hatchlings dead in the road in all 28 years of working," Mazzarella told WFLA.
Artificial lights from nearby houses and businesses are most likely to blame for the tiny turtles' deadly disorientation – they should have been ocean-bound.
"Turtles use light as a cue; the night sky reflecting on the water is going to be bright to them, and that way they'll go towards the water," Mazzarella explained.
"But if there's brightness in the area that should be dark, they might be heading towards that brightness instead."
Turn off the lights for turtles!
Unfortunately, this tragedy is just the latest incident in a year that has been more than trying for the Florida turtle population.
This year, WWSB has logged more than 3,000 disoriented loggerhead turtle hatchlings on Anna Maria Island. Over 140 baby turtles have already died due to becoming disoriented.
According to the conservationists, the public can help avoid another die-off by simply turning off their lights.
"Turn off your lights, close your blinds," Mazzarella urged. "Any kind of lights on trees and things like that that are on the other end of the spectrum that are not red or amber is not great for sea turtles.”
More baby turtles will be crossing the road, as peak nesting season runs from May 1 through October 31. Turtle Watch is also urging residents to call their 24-hour hotline at (941) 301-8434 if they find any hatchlings in distress or heading the wrong way.