As a local nonprofit organization, his group works to identify and protect sea turtle nests along more than 17 miles of beaches in Bay County, from St. Andrews State Park to Camp Helen State Park.
Last year, PCB Turtle Watch tagged 47 nests, of which the majority were loggerheads. Some also were green sea turtles. Both are threatened species.
According to Beach Councilman Phil Chester, Florida beaches are responsible for about 90% of all sea turtles nesting in the U.S.
Because of this, Chester said it is apparent the Panhandle plays a crucial role in the survival of sea turtles. We whole-heartedly support and appreciate the efforts of Turtle Watch and their many volunteers, he wrote in an email. We ask everyone to be mindful of the turtle nests and leave no trace on the beach overnight.
That includes manatees, which the institute occasionally works with under the guidance of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. The last instance was several years ago near Deer Point Lake, Holmes-Douglass added. A lot of people see manatees in the area and they think they re in the wrong spot but they do have a migration pattern and it s not uncommon to see them migrate through (the Gulf) this time of year, she said.
She also advised people to never approach manatees in the wild because it could disrupt their natural behavior.
While Reeves said no one got in the water near the manatee Monday, he added that the sighting sparked some chaos on the pier as people ran from every direction to take a closer look.