Turtle nests devastated
SUN PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL
Many of the sea turtle nests on Caspersen Beach were destroyed by Tropical Storm Debby. Markers are still up at these nests but their protective wire cages are damaged and cluttered with storm debris. Turtle patrols are still assessing the impact of the storm.
Turtle patrol volunteers on area beaches say an estimated 80-90 percent of the turtle nests have been washed away by high surf from Tropical Storm Debby in what was shaping up — before the storm — to be one of the best years in decades for sea turtle nesting.
Jill Lovelace was at Englewood Beach Monday and saw turtle nests swept away. All that remained was a cliff and one or two stakes. “An empty eggshell was washed over my foot,” Lovelace said. “It was sad but I suppose that is nature’s way.”
