2022 REALTORS® Association of Indian River County Past President, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Florida REALTORS® and RAIRC Honor Society Member!
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2022 REALTORS® Association of Indian River County Past President, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Florida REALTORS® and RAIRC Honor Society Member!
By Leslie Stone. Posted July 14, 2023
Photographs by Joe Rimkus Jr., Coastal Connections volunteer
Sea turtles have fascinated humans for thousands of years. In ancient Greece and Rome, they were associated with the goddesses Aphrodite and Venus. Chinese culture saw them as emblems of wisdom, longevity and stability, and they were revered as sacred symbols of endurance by Native American tribes. They’ve even made their mark in popular culture, as father-son loggerheads Crush and Squirt in Disney-Pixar’s “Finding Nemo,” and Sammy, the green sea turtle who stars in “A Turtle’s Tale.” With their irresistible cuteness and charm, what’s not to love about these endearing creatures?
Beyond their visual appeal, sea turtles have a lot to teach us about survival. From the time they start out as hatchlings—making their death-defying journey to the water, frequently falling prey to predators like sharks, big fish and birds—to their youth spent drifting and feeding in ocean currents, and finally when they return to the shore to breed, sea turtles face serious threats. In Florida alone, 20 to 30 percent of stranded sea turtles exhibit injuries consistent with being hit by a boat or other watercraft. In fact, only about one in 1,000 sea turtles survives to adulthood. Females who do live to maturity come ashore to lay their eggs, often returning to the same beach where they were born, while the males stay out at sea. Then the cycle starts all over again.
Vero Beach is one of the nesting habitats for green sea turtles, leatherbacks and loggerheads. These turtle species play an integral part in maintaining the balance in local marine ecosystems through their unique role in the food chain. They also host numerous tiny yet important organisms who live on their shells. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) have both listed these turtles as imperiled.
“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in the United States,” says Kendra Cope Bergman, M.S., president of Coastal Connections, Inc., a local 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit she founded to protect sea turtle habitats. “It’s a special year for sea turtles and many other endangered (listed) species.” Unlike other species, however, sea turtles take an extremely long time to mature. “It’s critical to have everybody’s continual support and participation in our conservation efforts because it’s going to take each and every one of us doing our part to make that change,” Kendra says.
Thanks to both Coastal Connections and Indian River County’s Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), efforts are being made to enhance sea turtle conservation and survival right here in our backyard. HCP allows the county to manage nest-monitoring efforts on 22.4 miles of the county’s beaches while Coastal Connections has not only facilitated the rescue of 501 sea turtles, but they are also actively engaged in rehabilitation efforts, aiding injured or distressed turtles and raising awareness about the necessity of protecting their endangered habitats. “We also have the largest state rescue team in our county,” Kendra says. “My greatest joy, as a trained sea turtle biologist leading a nonprofit organization, has been watching how fast we have grown from eight to 100-plus trained volunteers.” She notes that the number of partnerships Coastal Connections has established with academic organizations, community support organizations and other nonprofits around town has also grown exponentially. “I love the passionate people on our team who work day in and day out to protect these critters and help them not just survive but thrive. Our goal is to see them recover within our lifetime.”
In every presentation, activity and program, Coastal Connections emphasizes the importance of everyone’s role in the sea turtles’ success story—from charitable acts like making a donation that helps fund ongoing research, rehabilitation, education and other initiatives to participating in the beach basket cleanup program or simply volunteering. “Perhaps there is one behavior you might not have been doing but could do this year, such as recycling or carpooling or eating sustainably caught seafood,” Kendra says. “We appreciate even the smallest things people can do to help because the survival of sea turtles cannot be accomplished alone.”
Sea turtle conservation in Vero Beach is a testament to what passion and commitment can achieve when our residents, year-round and seasonal alike, as well as visitors and tourists come together for the sake of ensuring their survival for generations to come.
Sea turtle nesting season takes place from March 1 to October 31 each year, and Coastal Connections offers nighttime turtle walks, as well as daytime turtle digs starting each July, that give people an opportunity to see these creatures in their natural habitat. For more information about these events (or to adopt a sea turtle nest), call Coastal Connections at (772) 226-0133.
Coastal Connections’ Adopt-A-Nest program frequently opens additional spaces for VIP Adoption Packages.
For more information or to reserve a nest click here.
If they reach maturity and have a safe habitat in which to thrive, sea turtles can live 50 to 100 years!
The Indian River County Sea Turtle Conservation Program provides regular updates on the number of nests. Click here to view the public dashboard.
Call the FWC hotline ASAP at (888) 404-3922.
©2024 Cheryl Goff, Broker Associate, GRI, SRS, REALTOR® | RE/MAX Crown Realty in Vero Beach, FL | All Rights Reserved.
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