>>JENNIFER WAUGH: IT IS 22 MINUTES AFTER 8 O’CLOCK THIS MORNING. SEA TURTLE HATCHLINGS
ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN BREAKING
THROUGH THEIR SHELLS TO MAKE
THAT THEIR SHELLS TO MAKE THAT
DARING TRIP THAT DARING CRAWL
TO THE OCEAN. AND THE REALITY
IS MANY OF PROBABLY FOR THE
LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS HAVE
SPOTTED THE SEA TURTLE NESTS
ALONG OUR COASTLINE AND THE
SEA TURTLE PATROL NEEDS YOUR
HELP. KEVIN BROWN IS WITH THE
PATROL AND HE’S JOINING US VIA
ZOOM THIS MORNING. STEPS FROM
THE OCEAN. HE’S ALREADY BEEN
OUT THERE THIS MORNING.
CHECKING THE NEST. GOOD
MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING WITH
US.
>> HEY, GOOD MORNING. THANKS
FOR HAVING ME. IT’S SO KEVIN
KING CAKE. UPDATE US. WILL YOU
IF YOU DON’T MIND, PLEASE HOW
MANY NASTY WE HAVE ALONG THE
AREAS THAT YOU PATROL AND HAVE
ANY OF THEM BEGUN TO THE
HATCHLINGS BEGUN COME OUT OF
THEIR SHELLS YET.
>> WE WE PATROL FROM HANNAH
PART SAINT JOHNS COUNTY LINE.
WE’RE CURRENTLY WHERE IT’S 78
NEST. 74 OF THEM ARE
LOGGERHEAD AND WE HAVE 3 OR
EXCUSE ME FOR LEATHERBACKS.
AND THIS MORNING WE DID HAVE
AN EMERGENCY. SO WE HAD OUR
FIRST EMERGE. AND I WILL TELL
YOU IT WAS IT WAS A GOOD TRACK
AND THEY ALL MADE IT TO THE
THAT IS SO ENCOURAGING. AND
COULD YOU REMIND OUR VIEWERS A
LITTLE BIT, TOO, BECAUSE WE,
FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU’VE EVER
SEEN THIS AND SEEN VIDEO,
WHICH WE’RE SHOWING OUR
VIEWERS RIGHT NOW.
>> I MEAN, IT’S JUST A IT’S
JUST PRECIOUS. AND THE REALITY
IS EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT
WE RARELY GET TO SEE, WHICH
IS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT HE
THIS THIS LIFE OF THIS
CREATURE, YOU KNOW, EMERGING
AND THEN MAKING THAT TRIP TO
THE OCEAN, WHY OUR SEA TURTLE
SO IMPORTANT TO OUR ECOSYSTEM.
>> WELL, THEY’RE ONE OF MANY,
YOU KNOW, THEY’RE ONE OF MANY
MARINE LIFE ANIMALS THAT WE
STUDY. BUT THEY BASICALLY TELL
US THAT OUR ECOSYSTEM IS IN
GOOD SHAPE. THESE TURTLES HAVE
BEEN COMING HERE FOR A LONG
TIME AND THEY CONTINUE AND WE
STILL HAVE REALLY GOOD AND IF
THEY CONTINUE TO KEEP COMING
BACK TO THIS BEACH, IT JUST
TELLS US THAT THE ENVIRONMENT
IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND WE ALL
ALL BENEFIT FROM THAT.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: WE WE WE
KNOW, PARTICULARLY DURING THE
SUMMER MONTHS, KEVIN, THAT WE
HAVE A LOT OF NEW VISITORS TO
OUR BEACHES, MAYBE PEOPLE WHO
DON’T CUSS TO USUALLY COME
DURING THE REST OF THE YEAR TO
OUR OCEAN. AND SO AS A RESULT
INTO OUR SAND. SO AS A RESULT,
THEY MAY NOT KNOW THAT THERE
ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY
ARE DOING THAT ARE CREATING
HAZARDS FOR THESE HATCHLINGS.
LET’S START IF WE COULD COULD
WITH SAND CASTLES AND DIGGING
HOLES IN THE SAND.
>> YOU KNOW, OUR OUR MOTTO ARE
OUR AFTERNOON. THERE’S A CLEAN
DARK AND FLAT THE SAND CASTLES
AND WHAT PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE
THAT WE’RE STILL GETTING
FEMALE’S VETERAN ASKING SO ANY
HOLE THAT IS LEFT OVERNIGHT
CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO A
NESTING FEMALE AND THE
HATCHLINGS EMERGING IN THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS CAN GET
CAUGHT IN THAT HOLE. SO WE
NEED TO LEAVE OUR BEACH.
CLEAN, DARK AND FLAT LEAP FROM
HOW YOU FOUND THEM.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND WHEN YOU
WHAT YOU MENTIONED, ARC IN
PARTICULAR FOR OUR BEACH
RESIDENTS WHO ARE WATCHING,
WHAT CAN THEY DO TO ENSURE
THAT BECAUSE AS WE KNOW THESE
HATCHLINGS, THEY FOLLOW THE
LIGHT OF THE MOON TO GET
THEMSELVES TO THE OCEAN AND
OFTEN TIMES LIGHT IN ANOTHER
DIRECTION CAN CONFUSE THEM.
AND AS A RESULT, THEY END UP
DYING BECAUSE THEY GO IN THE
WRONG DIRECTION.
>> YEAH. DURING TURTLE SEASON
WHICH IS MAY ONE TO OCTOBER
31ST. ANYBODY THAT LIVES ON
THE AIR TO TRY AND OR HAS
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SHOULD
HAVE LIGHTS OUT LIKE YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE LIGHTS ARE
DISORIENTATION. DISORIENTATING
TO THE HATCHLING AND THE
FEMALES. SO LIGHT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT AND OBVIOUSLY CLAIM
WE DID. WE HAD A GREAT BEACH
CLEAN UP THE OTHER DAY. THAT
SAID WE’VE GOT THAT. WE’VE GOT
THIS BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDED
TO BE.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND THEN
VERY BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE
ABOUT 10 SECONDS. KEVIN, IF
SOMEONE SHOULD SEE HATCHLINGS
EMERGE, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
THAT THEY NOT TOUCH THEM OR IF
THEY’RE IN TROUBLE? SHOULD
THEY HELP THEM?
>> NO, IT’S A DAY ARE, YOU
KNOW, STAY FAR AWAY. FROM A
SAFE DISTANCE. THEY CAN’T BE
DISORIENTATED. DO NOT USE YOUR
CELL LIGHT, STAND BACK AND
WATCH NATURE DO ITS IF YOU
THINK THEY ARE AND DISTRAUGHT
CALLS BEACH SEA TURTLE PATROL
AT 904-613-6081. AND WE WILL A
VOLUNTEER DOWN THERE TO DIRECT
KEVIN BROWN WITH BEACHES, SEA
TURTLE PATROL. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR WORK. YOU AND ALL THE
VOLUNTEERS OUT THERE. WE DO
APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO FOR FOR
FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT AND FOR
THE SEA TURTLES. HAVE A GREAT
MORNING.