Man - 1, nature - 0 50 year old loggerhead turtle

[helenbacque]

hit by car on U.S. 1 in the Florida Keys. She was about 50 yrs old, 250 lbs and measuring 40 inches. Probably headed back to sea after nesting (or attempting to) and became confused by lights.

https://www.keysnews.com/news/local...cle_5be281c2-e81f-11ec-a218-83a454cb4b16.html

 

[Bellbird]

That is sad, I have seen other creatures trying to cross the road and often wondered if they ever made it.

 

[WheatenLover]

I wonder what the people here would do. One time there werer two fairly large dogs trotting alongside the highway (speed limit 55, actual speeds up to 80). I pulled over, everyone stopped, and my daughter tried to get the dogs to get in my car. They refused. She put this info on facebook and called the shelter. Within an hour, the dogs were reunited with their owner.

I think they would stop. They stop for ducks. Unfortunately, they don't stop in time for deer.

 

[helenbacque]

I wonder what the people here would do. One time there werer two fairly large dogs trotting alongside the highway (speed limit 55, actual speeds up to 80). I pulled over, everyone stopped, and my daughter tried to get the dogs to get in my car. They refused. She put this info on facebook and called the shelter. Within an hour, the dogs were reunited with their owner.

I think they would stop. They stop for ducks. Unfortunately, they don't stop in time for deer.

 

[helenbacque]

I doubt she was seen. Turtles are low to the ground, dark in color and travel at night. The Overseas Highway is very dark in spots.

 

[Alligatorob]

That's too bad. It is a little hard to imagine not seeing a turtle that big... On land they move quite slowly, don't dart our in front of you like a deer.

For many years my wife volunteered for turtle patrol, we lived on the beach so she just did the part adjacent to us. Found a lot of nests, and we got to see a lot of them hatch. Right in front of our house a number of time.

Lights are a real problem, we used blackout curtains, and never turned outdoor lights on in nesting season. But our area was lightly populated compared to the Keys, lights there must be worse. In my experience lighting ordinances are poorly enforced.

I think commercial fishing trawls and nets are the greatest hazard the turtles face. But lighting on the beach can really disrupt nesting.

Somewhere I have a picture of myself riding on the back of one. The turtle was huge. I was 14 at the time, it was not illegal then. In fact we considered killing it to eat, but did not. At that time it would have been legal. I knew people who legally took them, and I have eaten some. Don't really remember what it tasted like. They are quite protected today.