A record number of sea turtle hatchlings are becoming disoriented on Fort Myers Beach this year, with 24 nests affected so far the highest number ever recorded by local conservation group Turtle Time.
Watch as Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent, Anvar Ruziev, explains why some turtles are ending up in roads and pools instead of the Gulf:
Record sea turtle hatchlings lost on Fort Myers Beach this year
The baby turtles have been found crawling in canals, on roads, and even in swimming pools as they struggle to find their way to the Gulf of Mexico after hatching.
“It’s a record number. We have 24 as of today, and some of these hatchlings are traveling quite a distance,” said Cyndy Johnson, a Turtle Time volunteer.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, only one out of 1,000 sea turtles makes it to adulthood, and the disorientation problem on Fort Myers Beach is making that survival rate even more challenging…