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What
You Can and
Cannot Do on
a Florida Sea Turtle
Walk
If you want to take photos or film the experience,
you may be out of luck |
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Florida Turtle Walk
Rules and Restrictions
All sea turtles except loggerheads are endangered
species; loggerheads are classified as threatened. Because
of the turtles' special status, organized turtle walks (watches) in Florida are
tightly controlled.
Those conducting
a turtle walk must have a permit
from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Touching a sea turtle or handling its eggs without a permit
is unlawful.
On a turtle walk, participants are not allowed
to use a flashlight personally. Only the guide(s) will
have one and its lens is filtered. (See Nesting Sea Turtle Photos)
Flash photography of the egg laying also is not allowed. The rules for using a digital camera or smart phone for photos differs from location to location. Some places do not allow the use of any device with an illuminated screen.
Even then, in some instances, you may not be allowed to take pictures, only act
as a spectator. To be certain, check ahead.
Whatever else, be sure to bring repellent for mosquitoes, which can
be fierce without a breeze, and a water bottle.
Turtle walk guides always do their best to find a turtle, but since
sea turtles are wild animals with minds of their own, there are no guarantees.
This is why they might be best called a turtle "walk"
and not a turtle "watch."
Except at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, which uses a term containing an impossible promise. Archie Carr may be one of the richest viewing places in the world, but "walk" and "watch" are similar the to the difference
between "fishing" and "catching." You can only hope for the "watch." And it does happy the majority of the time.
To Join a Florida Sea Turtle Walk (Watch)
To Sea Turtle Life Cycle
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