Wildlife Viewing - With Your Child

drawing of family With Your Child

Join a Turtle Walk

What better way to excite children about sea turtles than to watch a nest erupt with hatchlings or to see an adult female emerge from the sea to begin the long process of nest-digging and egg-laying. When you join one of the 13 state-permitted turtle walks that are held in the summer at various locations around the state, you may witness one of these awe-inspiring events, walking the beach at night with a trained professional. Advance reservations are usually necessary.

photo of loggerhead sea turtle
Loggerhead Sea Turtle

For a list of turtle walks, write to Imperiled Species Management, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street Tallahassee, FL; call (850) 922-4330 or go to http://myfwc.com/seaturtle/Education/Sea_Turtle_Watches_List.htm.

Any time you head to the beach, carry along a trash bag to help gather some of the debris found there. Explain to your child that marine mammals mistake floating plastic for jellyfish and can die of starvation as a result of swallowing plastic. Birds, turtles, manatees and other sealife can get tangled in monofilament fishing line and, unable to free themselves, drown or lose appendages to the tight line. Six-pack beverage rings are especially hazardous to animals: sea gulls and pelicans get the rings caught around their beaks while diving for fish. Teach your child to snip each circle with a pair of scissors before disposing of six-pack rings.