Hay bales on Bradenton Beach safeguard sea turtles
The 2024 hurricane season washed away sand dunes, sea oats and other vegetation which helped protect nesting sea turtles.
Hay bales are now used to help block light and keep turtles on the right track.
A female loggerhead sea turtle was recently rescued from inside a swimming pool after bypassing two fences.
BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. - Bradenton Beach saw extreme damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton. Not only were homes and businesses destroyed, but were the beach dunes and all the vegetation that helps protect the coastline and the animals that visit the beach, including sea turtles. Right now, as Florida enters peak nesting season, Manatee County came up with a unique idea to protect nesting.
OTHER NEWS: Turtle nests delay temporary fix to Manasota Key Road
Hurricane Helene's storm surge washed away dunes, sea oats and local vegetation. All played a role in protecting sea turtles and their hatchlings from light that can disorient or confuse them.
What they're saying
"We were all trying to find out about what we could do to help the turtles so we could keep them from getting into the road. We wanted to be proactive, we wanted to be preventative and make sure the turtles were safe," said Kristen Mazzarella, the Executive Director of the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird monitoring.
The backstory
Manatee County Natural Resources came up with the idea. Crews went to work and staked organic, seed-free hay as barriers for the turtles.
Seed-free hay ensures nothing will take root on Bradenton Beach that doesn't belong there and helps keep the beach as natural as possible.
The Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch was pleased with the idea.
"The hay bales are here blocking the rock revetments, so the hatchlings can make their way into the rock revetments. Also, it's blocking the adult turtles from getting into the road. There's a lot of areas they'd have direct access into the road, and it's turning them to a different direction," said Mazzarella.
With the hay bales now in place, Manatee County and the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch are asking visitors to keep their hands off and let the hay do its job. In keeping the turtles safe through another nesting season with a few new challenges.
What's next
As of June 5, 2024, the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch documented 149 turtle nests along the beaches of Anna Maria Island. If you find a sea turtle in distress (adult or hatchling), call AMITW at 941-301-8434 or FWC at 888-404-3922.
The Source
Information was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon.
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