Barefoot beachgoers amazed as sea turtles crawl to new home
Sea turtles are released Friday night at Barefoot beach
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Collier County releases newly hatched turtles into the water. Video by fox4now.com
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NAPLES, FLA. - On Barefoot beach alone, turtles laid 174 nests this year. On Friday night, some of those hatchlings make their way towards their new home.
Dan Hardy took some photos Friday morning on the beach. He watched as a sea turtle monitor from Collier County pulled hatchlings out of a nest. Sometimes, turtles are weak and need help getting out of the nest.
If hatchlings get to the water at night, their chance of survival is greater. A sea turtle monitor collects the hatchlings and brings them back once the sunlight fades.
"There's a lot of things that want to get to them and eat them like crabs, birds, raccoons so to make it to the water is a big thing," said Hardy.
Bill and Robin Davis checked out this amazing sight. The couple from Illinois recently traded their snow shovels for sand.
" I am looking forward to not shoveling snow and just to come to the ocean, the gulf and seeing things like this, it's beautiful," said Davis.
The turtles are placed carefully on the sand. The turtles are hesitant at first and maybe their new home is a tiny bit intimidating.
"I thought they would take off for the water right away, but maybe they needed to get situated and know which way to go," said Dan Hardy.
Applause marks the moment the first sea turtle finds the ocean.
"I was really glad to see them make their way to the ocean," said Bill Davis who recently moved to Florida from Illinois.
About 94 nests have hatched on Barefoot beach this year. Most turtles hatch and get to the water before Halloween rolls around.
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