Latest news with #LoggerheadSeaTurtles
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sea turtle nesting season could surge on Tybee – how you can help
TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) — It's that time of year again along the Georgia Coast – sea turtle nesting season is officially underway. Thousands of visitors flock to Tybee Island and Georgia's Coasts each summer, but some of the most important guests arrive under the cover of night. While beachgoers enjoy Tybee's sunny shores, what happens after dark is truly summer, loggerhead sea turtles return to nest, and the Island steps up to ensure they're safe. Nesting season is underway on Tybee Island, running May through October. To keep hatchlings from getting disoriented, all lights on the beach must be turned off at dark. Wildlife experts predict 2025 to be a strong year for nesting following a three-year cycle seen in Georgia's Loggerhead population. Loggerhead Sea Turtles lay up to 120 eggs at night, and volunteers mark the nests each morning to protect them. Experts expect more nests this year, and the Tybee Marine Science Center continues to educate visitors, with help from their resident sea turtle. A Tybee ordinance states that your beachfront lights should he out from sunrise to sunset to help the turtles. And if you must use lights, make sure it is a red flashlight. How you can help the sea turtle– Lights out on Tybee: sunset to sunrise | May to October– Avoid nests & use red flashlights only– Clean up trash, flatten sandcastles, fill holes Sea turtle nesting season is a special time on Tybee, and even small actions can make a big difference for these hatchlings. Beachgoers can help by cleaning up trash, filling in holes, and flattening sandcastles for a successful nesting season here on Georgia's coast. It's a shared responsibility to help them reach the ocean safely. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
On a budget this summer? 10 fun things to do for free or under $20 in Palm Beach County
Summer fun can get pretty expensive pretty quickly. From theme park and water park visits to spending more on dining out and shopping during vacations, having a fun summer comes at a cost. If you're still recovering from a summer vacation spending spree or saving up for one, you might be limiting your "fun" budget. But being short on extra spending money certainly doesn't exclude you from finding something fun to do around the Palm Beaches. Here are 10 fun things to do in Palm Beach County for free or under $20. One of the activities listed is actually a nominee for USA TODAY's 2024 reader-voted list of the best free attractions in the U.S. Take a stroll on the Lake Trail in Palm Beach Palm Beach Lake Trail is a five-and-a-half-mile trail on the west side of Palm Beach that offers stunning views and glimpses into some of the most opulent properties in the area. Along the path, you can stop to see the Flagler Museum, Henry Flagler's estate from the Gilded Age, and other landmarks like the huge Kapok Tree, originally from the Amazon rainforest. You'll also enjoy views of the Lake Worth Lagoon and the skyline of downtown West Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Lake Trail starts at the intersection of South Lake Drive and Peruvian Avenue North in Palm Beach. The trail runs along the west side of Palm Beach, parallel to the Lake Worth Lagoon. Bucket list: 55 fun things to do in Palm Beach County Snorkel at Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach One of three shark sculptures along the Phil Foster Park snorkel trail in Riviera Beach on November 19, 2015. (Richard Graulich / The Palm Beach Post) It doesn't matter if you have a snorkel that you've only used once or if you're an experienced diver. Anyone who wants to see sea turtles, eels, starfish, tropical fish and even manatees can swim along the 800 feet of artificial reef just off the shore of Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach. Phil Foster Park is located at 900 Blue Heron Blvd. in Riviera Beach. For more information, please call 561-966-6600. Florida bucket list: 65 fun things to do, places to visit from the Keys to the Panhandle Learn about sea turtles at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach is free to visit and offers a look into sea turtle rehabilitation. The sea turtle hospital, located on a stretch of Juno Beach that's a worldwide hot spot for Loggerhead Sea Turtles during nesting season, has aquarium tanks and educational opportunities for the whole family. The sea turtle hospital's operating room even has a screen outside of it, where guests can watch sea turtle surgeries. Loggerhead Marinelife Center also hosts sea turtle releases and other eco-experiences that are free and open to the public. Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a nominee for USA TODAY's 2024 "10Best" Readers' Choice list of the best free attractions in the U.S. Loggerhead MarineLife Center is located at 14200 US-1, Juno Beach. For more information, please call 561-627-8280. Enjoy nature at this botanical garden in Palm Beach Flowers bloom in the Four Arts Botanical Gardens in Palm Beach, Florida on June 15, 2023. The Society of the Four Arts' demonstration garden is maintained by the Garden Club of Palm Beach and has been offering free strolls through its flowering botanical gardens since 1938. The 10-acre property also boasts a gallery building, libraries and a sculpture garden. Built in 1936 in an effort to stoke the arts and culture of Palm Beach County through a myriad of programs like concerts, art exhibitions, film screenings and children's events, this attraction is an idyllic piece of Palm Beach's history. The Society of the Four Arts in located at 100 Four Arts Plaza in Palm Beach. Catch a free outdoor movie on the West Palm Beach waterfront Enjoy a family-friendly, free movie on West Palm Beach's waterfront once a month. Screen on the Green is an opportunity to movie-watch under the stars and by the water, hosted by the city of West Palm Beach on the second Friday of every month. Bring a blanket or chairs and a picnic if you'd like to, but there are typically food trucks nearby. Check the City of West Palm Beach's website for movie schedule. The Screen on the Green is located on the West Palm Beach waterfront at 100 N. Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach. Get up close to a manatee at Manatee Lagoon in Riviera Beach Although peak season to spot sea cows in South Florida's waterways is during the winter months, these friendly underwater mammals can be seen year-round. Manatee Lagoon in Riviera Beach offers up-close experiences with manatees and is free to visit. They offer lagoon tours, Saturday story times for kids, $5 yoga classes for adults and even lectures. Check out their website for a live look of the docks before you head out to the lagoon. Explore Delray Beach's arts district Delray Beach's Pineapple Grove neighborhood is teaming with artsy endeavors. Explore the district and check out the mosaic of street art and murals, or pop into one of the many art galleries, colorful shops, restaurants or cafes. The Pineapple Grove Arts District is located just off of Atlantic Avenue on NE 2nd Avenue in downtown Delray Beach. Listen to a free concert on the water in downtown West Palm Beach If free movies on West Palm's downtown waterfront don't tickle your fancy, try out one of the free concerts held every third Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. No outside alcohol is permitted at Sunday on the Waterfront concerts, which are hosted by the city, but much like Screen on the Green, guests are encouraged to enjoy food trucks and bring blankets to spread out on the grass in front of the outdoor amphitheater. Sunday on the Waterfront is located at the Meyer Amphitheater at 104 Datura St. in downtown West Palm Beach. Learn about the local ecosystem at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton Explore nature and local marine life this weekend at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. Similar to Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is a Boca-based research and rehabilitation facility with learning opportunities for the family. Gumbo Limbo is a vital caretaker of Boca Raton's local ecosystem and boasts butterfly gardens, boardwalk trails, and outdoor aquariums. It costs $5 per person to explore Gumbo Limbo. See local art at The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County in Lake Worth Beach See an excellent exhibition celebrating 100 years of Boca Raton at the Cultural Council's 'Reflections of a Century." Last but certainly not least Palm Beach County's cultural center in Lake Worth Beach offers a variety of opportunities to explore and interact with local art. The main gallery has ongoing, rotating exhibitions that focus on art that was either made in or is unique to Palm Beach County. The cultural center is open to the public every Tuesday through Saturday, from noon through 5 p.m. The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is located at 601 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth Beach. For more information, please call 561-471-2901. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Free things in West Palm Beach for students summer break
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cape San Blas restoration project faces funding and permit challenges
GULF COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Gulf County residents are patiently waiting for the Cape San Blas Beach restoration project, but warn that time is running out. The lack of sand has already caused damage, water is starting to wash up under houses. Two Cape San Blas homes have already been condemned, and there are about 30 more that are at risk. There are two ways to get sand on the beach, truck it from a donor pit, or pump it from the bottom of the Gulf. This project will require 800,000 cubic yards of sand. The estimated cost is $34.5 million, but the county only has $24 million. They're asking the state legislature for the other $10 million. Residents are hopeful. Cape San Blas restoration project delayed over funding issues 'It's more probable now than possible. And we're pushing and we're, we're contacting these federal agencies and federal people to contact these federal agencies as well,' Coastal Community Association President Pat Hardman said. But money isn't the only issue. U.S. Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries must approve the project before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will issue a permit to the county. 'There's been some favorable discussions with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the county, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife did issue their formal consult and the only issue to be kind of resolved, I guess, is some of the terms and conditions that U.S. Fish and Wildlife put forward,' Save the Cape committee member Maria Thomas said. County officials are also hoping for federal funding down the road. If they can prove the restoration project will improve the habitat of 3 endangered species, the St. Andrews Mouse, Loggerhead Sea Turtles, and shorebirds. They could apply for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act or COBRA funds. 'If it's to help the endangered species, have corridors, have habitat to live in, have habitat breeding then the COBRA does not apply. The restriction of COBRA not being able to use federal money doesn't apply and that opens up federal money to us,' Hardman said. 'Save the Cape' committee members say the fastest way to begin the project is to receive funding from the state legislature. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
