On Friday, July 25th, roughly 100 3-inch-long loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings broke the surface of the sand and quickly made their way to the water’s edge just before 9 pm ET. This awesome event was captured by a high-definition, infrared “turtle cam” positioned on a beach in the Florida Keys. The webcam is helping to raise awareness of sea turtles and the need to protect them.
Watch them make a run for the water:
These turtles crawl out from the waters at night each year, between mid-April and October, to dig their nests and lay eggs. There are typically about 100 eggs, and two months later, the hatchlings struggle to dig themselves out of the nest and hightail it to the ocean. They’re guided by the moonlight reflecting off open water to know which way to go.
Loggerhead sea turtles nest on the beaches of the Florida Keys and other parts of Florida, as do green, leatherback, hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. All five sea turtle species inhabit the waters around Florida and the Keys. All five sea turtle species are considered threatened or endangered.
Let’s do our best to ensure that these beautiful sea creatures are with us for many more generations to come! Click the links below to find out how you can help:
Be Prepared. Know Before™.
The WeatherBug – Earth Networks Team
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