This Was a Record Year for Sea Turtles, Until Bertha Hit

Tropical Storm Bertha dealt a devastating blow to the sea turtle nesting season across the Gulf Coast of Florida, wiping away what was shaping up to be a record season for the Sunshine State. Here is a look at where the damage to the hatchlings was the greatest and what parts of the Southeast are still seeing a thriving sea turtle season.

Florida Sea Turtle Nests Devastated by Bertha's Wrath

Volunteers in Florida are racing to save the sea turtle hatchlings after the wrath of Tropical Storm Bertha wiped away many of their nests. Up until Bertha's landfall in mid-July, the sea turtles were enjoying a robust nesting season across the beaches of Florida and up into Virginia.

However, the storm surge, coastal flooding, and beach erosion damaged nests along Florida's Gulf Coast. For instance, the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol said that only four of its 22 nests made it through Bertha's wrath. The group said that "GPS coordinates are taken of each nest along with beach measurements, distance from the nest to the dune and water, so we are hoping we may be able to locate the eggs again and re-mark the nest for evaluation."

Moving farther east, the Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol described Bertha's impacts as "brutal," destroying most of the area's sea turtle nests. While the nests can sometimes survive large waves, it is the constant beating from tropical storm flooding that causes the eggs to suffocate and die.

Florida had been ready to record one of its strongest loggerhead nesting seasons ever until Bertha hit. As of June 30, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had reported more than 94,000 loggerhead nests statewide, putting the season within reach of the state record.