state permits were there ,” Sharon said . “ We had no authority ; we were just doing this . But we wanted to report that we ’ d found 25 nests in Walton County . Do you know what they did ? They laughed at us !”
In 1995 South Walton Turtle Watch became a 501c3 non-profit organization . With a lot of perseverance SWTW became the official turtle monitoring organization for Walton County , and then the organization became an official Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Marine Permit holder .
The lesson ? “ Keep up with what you believe in ,” said Sharon .
South Walton Turtle Watch now manages and coordinates a small army of dedicated volunteers who walk Walton County beaches daily from May 1 – Oct . 31 in search of a crawl mark or signs of a nest . The organization also educates the community about ways to help sea turtles .
“ We have grown so much ! The educational budget has grown too ,” she said .
SWTW volunteers often give sea turtle talks to students and gift flashlights with red lightbulbs , amber flashlight covers , and laminated photos of crawl marks to empower students to identify a possible nesting .
She sees the educational component of SWTW as the key to its long-term success .
“ Teaching is a grand opportunity because you can ’ t care about something unless you are in tune with it . Finding a crawl and knowing a mama sea turtle laid a nest that night … I loved every minute of it .”
SEA TURTLE FACTS
• Sea turtles are protected by the Endangered Species Act .
• Loggerhead and Green Sea Turtles typically nest on our beaches .
• Nesting season is May 1 – Oct . 31 .
• Hatchlings are guided to the Gulf by the moon . White lights confuse them .
• The temperature of the sand determines the sex of the hatchlings .
• Sea turtles return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs .
• Mama sea turtles lay about 100 eggs in a nest and tend to lay 3 – 5 nests .
• In 2021 , 624 hatchlings made it to the Gulf in Walton County .
HOW YOU CAN HELP
• Fill holes you dig on the beach !
• Don ’ t leave chairs , tents , or anything on the beach !
• Use red or amber outdoor lightbulbs in Gulf-front homes and shut curtains and blinds at night .
• Use red covers or flashlights with red bulbs when on the beach at night .
• Respect marked nests and keep your distance .
• Call * FWC or 850-865-4503 if you see a sea turtle .
THE TURTLE LADY : SHARON MAXWELL LOCAL PROFILE beachLIFE 61