For humans, considering the difficulties of a hatching sea turtle might be just the ticket for helping achieve its primary goal: survival.

“It hard enough for hatchlings to climb over rocks and shells on their frenzied crawl to the Gulf,” said Mary Nelson, Collier County environmental specialist. “Other obstacles can sometimes make it impossible for them.”

Nelson spoke April 16 to a group of more than 60 people hosted by Friends of Tigertail. Her presentation, titled “The Loggerhead Sea Turtles,” aimed at educating locals about the critical part Marco Island plays in the life cycle of Caretta caretta, the common loggerhead.

Florida hosts 91 percent of the world’s nesting areas for the loggerhead, second largest of all sea turtles and the most common sea turtle in Florida. In Collier County, Marco Island’s long, sloping crescent beach is ideal for nesting, said Nelson. She also explained that ideal is not a synonym for perfect.

The loggerhead was listed in 1978 as a threatened species. Since that time, studies show that the number of females that nest in Florida is declining.

“Nobody is quite sure why nesting on Marco Island has its ups and downs,” explained Nelson, “but there are a few things we can point to that have affected nesting.” Development and human considerations are two inhibitors to habitat compatibility.

Considering the decline, The U.S. Federal government listed the loggerhead as endangered worldwide. “That makes it unlawful to disturb loggerheads or nesting turtles in any way,” said Nelson, who has been monitoring nests on Marco Island and in Naples since 1991.

On Marco Island, 30 percent of all nests are located along Hideaway Beach. “We should see the first nests appearing around May 1,” said Nelson. “Nesting continues until Oct. 31.”

Nesting occurs at night. A pregnant female laboriously crawls up the sand and away from the surf toward the vegetation line. When she finds a suitable site, she digs a hole about 19-inches deep with an 8-inch diameter and deposits approximately 100 white eggs the size of ping-pong balls. She then tightly compacts sand around the eggs and fills the hole. As a precaution, she roughs up sand in a 4-foot area around the nest to act as camouflage.

She crawls back to the Gulf but may return in 10 to 14 days to repeat the process either near the first nest or in another location. In all, she may lay eggs three or more times in a given year but only nests every two to three years, said Nelson.

Gestation takes about 60 days depending on the temperature of the sand surrounding the eggs. Although hatching usually takes place at night, Nelson showed a documentary video of a hatching just at sunset on Marco.

Hatchings find their way to the surf in the darkness by following the light reflected on the water. It only takes one light shining from a condo balcony or building to disorient them.

“When I find a hatchling that is crawling in the wrong direction, all I have to do is look up,” said Nelson. “I can usually see the light from a balcony right in front of direction of the crawl.”

If a hatchling crawls away from the water it becomes weakened, subject to predators or dies of exhaustion. Over the years, Nelson said, residents on the beach have been learning to black out lights to reduce turtle mortality.

As the video progressed, Nelson noted: “Because it was sunset, there were a lot of people on the beach who watched the 2-inch long hatchlings dash to the surf. Spectators were well-behaved and made a funnel from the nest to the water to help the hatchlings find their way.”

Watching the film, the sand seemed to bubble up with flippers and heads struggling to the surface. Hatchlings poured out of the 8-inch hole as if madly climbing out of a pipe.

“It’s the first time they have seen light,” Nelson said. “They alternate flippers right and left as they dash to the water. I call it the frenzy. They are energized by the embryonic egg sacks they have just consumed before climbing out.”

Chances for survival are very slim during the sea turtle life cycle. Only one in a thousand will make it to sexual maturity, said Nelson. Egg predators are abundant including ghost crabs, raccoons, fire ants and even tree roots. Natural disaster or just summer flooding can destroy nests.

Nelson showed a chart indicating how many nests per year were monitored on Marco. Nesting was lower during years when beach renourishment took place. But Nelson was quick to show that renourishment actually improved nesting in later years because it improved the nesting environment.

Artificial means are often employed to help increase hatchling numbers. Screens can be installed to thwart raccoons, building lights can be hooded or blacked out, and eggs can be moved out of a danger zone if done in the first 12 hours after being laid.

For loggerheads that make it, their next stop is the Gulf Stream to the Sargasso Sea for what scientists called their “lost years.” For six to 12 years the juveniles float in the nutrient rich rafts of sargassum where they are protected from predators until they can fend for themselves in the world’s oceans.

Nelson, also know as the “Turtle Lady” on Marco Island, has a 24-hour-a-day pager the public can call to report any turtle activity or danger. Her pager number is 239-513-5374 and her cell phone number is 239-289-9736.

Beach clean-up before nesting season is a good way to support nesting and hatchlings. Debbie Roddy, president of Friends of Tigertail, announced a beach clean-up starting at Tigertail from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, April 26. Those interested are asked to meet at the Tigertail Beach kiosk.

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What you can do to help

Nesting season runs from May 1 to Oct. 31. Everyone can help keep the environment safe for loggerheads and their hatchlings.

– Keep the beach as dark as possible. If you live on the beach make sure your lights are not visible on the beach after 9 p.m. This can be done by shading windows or shielding lights and keeping outside balcony lights off.

– Limit nighttime activities. Keep the beach as quiet and dark as possible. This means no flashlights or flash photography or fireworks on the beach.

– Keep the beach free of litter and barriers. Take back what you bring and clear away sandcastle or trenches that you or your children might construct. Remove all beach furniture at sundown.

– If you witness an adult sea turtle on the beach, remain quiet and at a distance.

– Report dead, injured or disoriented turtles immediately. Also, if you see anyone disturbing a nest or any unusual sea turtle activity call one of the following numbers:

Collier County Parks and Recreation

239-252-2952 (Weekdays, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.)

239-890-6486 (24-hour pager)

Marco Island

239-289-9736 (Cell phone)

239-513-5374 (24-hour pager)

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

1-888-404-FWCC (3922)