55 Sea Turtle Hatchlings Found Dead On Anna Maria Island

ANNA MARIA ISLAND, FL — Dozens of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings were found dead on Anna Maria Island after officials said artificial lighting apparently drew them away from the Gulf of Mexico.

In a post on social media, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring said 55 hatchlings emerged from a nest on Wednesday night but became disoriented.

Rather than following natural light reflecting off the water, officials said the turtles crawled toward artificial lights from nearby homes and businesses, ending up on Gulf Drive.

“I have never seen that many hatchlings dead in the road in all 28 years of working,” Kristen Mazzarella, executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, told WFLA. "It was really heartbreaking."

The deaths come during sea turtle nesting season, when beachfront lighting can pose a particular danger to newly hatched turtles trying to reach the water.

With other nests still waiting to hatch along the island's beaches, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch is asking the public to help prevent another mass disorientation.

The organization urged residents, businesses and visitors to check whether lights on their properties are visible from the beach, turn off unnecessary lights at night and keep blinds closed.

"Any kind of lights on trees and things like that that are in the other end of the spectrum that is not red or amber is not great for sea turtles," Mazzarella told WFLA.

Anyone who finds a wayward hatchling, dead or alive, is asked to contact Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch's 24-hour hotline at 941-301-8434.