The sea turtle nesting season will most likely be a "wash" this season, mainly because the severe erosion along our section of beach is a critical factor in impeding turtles from crawling up on the beach to lay their eggs. Note the approximately 6 foot "escarpment" in the photo below. By my estimate, approximately 30 yards of beach has been eroded by several years of storms and storm waves since the last "beach renourishment". Thats probably hundreds of cubic yards in and area measuring just one yard wide times 30 yards from the sea grass line out to where the coast used to be before all of the erosion. There is very little chance of any nesting taking place here, or even for about 1 mile south of our Jetty. That's why I'm guessing that the sea turtle nesting is a "wash" this season! The beach has literally been washed out! Unless the Army Corps of Engineers, state, county and city leaders start the process to get the monies needed to replenish this stretch of beach, not only will we not see any turtle nesting along our shores but, just as critically, much of the recently replenished sea grasses (see on top of the escarpment) will be washed away as well. That's not even considering the tremendous property damage that will be done to private (and city) properties along the beach. They may think that they have waited too long to get it done this year, but it should start immediately since, if nothing is done, there won't be any need to worry about any sea turtle nests with eggs along our section of beach this year anyway!
The only critters along the beach this morning were hundreds of stinging jellyfish, sometimes called "Man-of-War", I believe. The strong easterly and north-easterly winds these past few weeks have not only added to our beach erosion, but have driven these jellyfish up on our shores. The winds were so strong and the wave action so heavy that the jellyfish were being blown up and over the escarpments. There were so many of them, and it continued to be so windy, that I didn't even try to get them back in the water. Besides, the little blue tentacle that you see at one end of the jellyfish in the photo below can inflict a very severe sting on those swimming in the ocean, or even if you come into skin contact with them while on the beach. I believe that their stingers are used to sting and capture food while they are floating in the ocean.
It's becoming very discouraging on my morning beach walks to realize what has happened to our beach and what will inevitably happen to all of the sea turtles who try to come back to the beaches of their birth to lay their eggs for a new generation of sea turtles.
The only critters along the beach this morning were hundreds of stinging jellyfish, sometimes called "Man-of-War", I believe. The strong easterly and north-easterly winds these past few weeks have not only added to our beach erosion, but have driven these jellyfish up on our shores. The winds were so strong and the wave action so heavy that the jellyfish were being blown up and over the escarpments. There were so many of them, and it continued to be so windy, that I didn't even try to get them back in the water. Besides, the little blue tentacle that you see at one end of the jellyfish in the photo below can inflict a very severe sting on those swimming in the ocean, or even if you come into skin contact with them while on the beach. I believe that their stingers are used to sting and capture food while they are floating in the ocean.
It's becoming very discouraging on my morning beach walks to realize what has happened to our beach and what will inevitably happen to all of the sea turtles who try to come back to the beaches of their birth to lay their eggs for a new generation of sea turtles.
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