CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Local sea turtle nest patrollers were shocked at the way some beaches were left during the holiday week.
- Beaches were littered with trash over holiday weekend
- Garbage, forgotten items can disrupt sea turtle nests
A team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium say beachgoers left things like chairs and tents out overnight on some beaches, which can disrupt nesting sea turtles going to and from the water.
The Aquarium posted pictures on Facebook of what was left early on the Fourth of July, saying the team was surprised to see what was left there.
"Tents, furniture, toys, all left overnight," biologist Yvette Fernandez said.
Fernandez says this is actually a good moment to teach people about how to keep nesting turtles safe. She says anything left on the beach at night can affect mothers looking for a nest and can confuse hatchlings going to the water.
"It can cause them to get confused, she said. "They are going to go straight to the ocean, but if they find obstacles in their way, they can get disoriented. Or even trapped."
Holiday weekends can be troublesome for nests with the beaches being much busier.
"You have people that come down who maybe don't come to the beach as often as the locals and don’t know the etiquette or are respectful to the nature," Clearwater resident Eric Bote said.
Experts say the best thing you can do is clean everything up when you leave the beach and fill in any holes. That way you won't leave anything that may interrupt a sea turtle's path in the middle of the night.
If you see a turtle or nest that looks to be in trouble, you can call resources like the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for help at 727-441-1790.