First Green Sea Turtle Nest Found At Biscayne National Park
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The first documented green sea turtle nest was discovered at Biscayne National Park exciting biologists around South Florida.
According to the National Park Service, the nest was excavated August 15 by biologists.
Sixty six green sea turtle hatchlings were helped from the nest and placed in open water.
While the green sea turtles have been seen in the waters around the park, never before has a green sea turtle nest been documented on the beach.
Biologists excavate the nests soon after sea turtles hatch because the small turtles often have difficulty getting to the water from the nests due to roots, vegetation or debris.
Overall, officials have said it has been a productive year for sea turtle nests with twenty one observed in 2013, which is three times the normal number.
While biologists are excited to have so many nests at the park, they have reported sea turtles hatching earlier than anticipated, but the reason why is not known.
The National Park Service posted a video of the excavation on its Facebook page and the video can be seen here.
Four types of sea turtles have been documented swimming off of Biscayne National Park.
They include loggerhead, green, hawksbill and occasionally, leatherback turtles.
All four species of turtles are threatened or endangered.
