CMA hopes to motivate public to help keep beaches clean, flat and dark for turtles
CLEARWATER, FL (July 25, 2024) – Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Conservation Team is now hosting VIP Ride-Alongs Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings through Sept. 20. Join two of CMA’s sea turtle nesting biologists on their daily patrol and become fully immersed in the field and see the work that CMA does with sea turtles firsthand.
This program will help guests find out more about sea turtles that nest on Florida’s beaches every year from April 15 through Oct. 31.
During these months, CMA sea turtle conservation team patrols the beach just before sunrise, seven days a week. Using utility task vehicles (UTV), staff, volunteers and interns search along the high tide line for evidence of sea turtle nesting and looks for evidence of marks in the sand left by crawling females. They then determine if there is a nest present, and if so mark the nest and collect measurements.
CMA teams primarily find loggerhead turtle nests on the 21 miles of beach they monitor, but have also found Kemp’s ridley, green sea turtles, and most recently, the first leatherback turtle nest found in Pinellas County.
This memorable experience will allow guests to be able to shadow our biologists and observing their work, documenting turtle crawls, nesting sites and recording disorientation events.
“While on the beach looking for activity, biologists will give an informational talk focused on the nesting process, hatchlings, and ways they can help our sea turtles,” said Carly Oakley, manager of the Sea Turtle Conservation Program at CMA. Guests will receive the opportunity to see the impacts of artificial lighting, sand holes, items left on the beach and much more can have on sea turtles. In addition, guests have an opportunity to see an adult crawl, hatch outs, inventories and much more.
By doing this incredible experience, CMA hopes to motivate the public to help keep the beaches clean, flat and dark for the turtles, especially during nesting season. CMA wants guests to experience how their activities and actions on the beach impact, not just sea turtles, but other wildlife. Remember to bring lots of questions for CMA biologists on this amazing experience.
Tickets for the Sea Turtle Conservation Program VIP Ride Along are $99.95 for ages 10 and up and are limited to three guests per day due to limited space on UTVs. The start time for the ride- alongs will vary based on sunrise but CMA asks guests to arrive 45 minutes before the scheduled start time.
For more information and reservations, please visit https://www.cmaquarium.org/experiences/sea-turtle-nesting-ride-along/.
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Media Contact: Marsha Strickhouser | mstrickhouser@CMAquarium.org | (727) 242-0770
- About Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working marine rescue center dedicated to inspiring the human spirit through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release. With a mission to preserve the environment and its marine life, CMA is home to rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, a nurse shark and more. Through Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, CMA conducts important global research focused on protecting manatees, North Atlantic right whales and sea turtles. Major motion picture Dolphin Tale (2011) and its sequel Dolphin Tale 2 (2014) features the true stories of rescued resident dolphins Winter and Hope, inspiring millions around the world. The mission and potential to change people’s lives differentiates Clearwater Marine Aquarium from any other aquarium in the world.
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We believe in preserving our environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life; environmental education; research; and conservation.
A Florida non-profit 501(c)(3) organization