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St. George Island’s first sea turtle nest of 2007 was an exciting event, and unusual in more ways than one!  Sea turtles typically nest under dark skies, and the common turtle for the St. George Island area is the Loggerhead turtle.  On the morning of Tuesday, May 15, while conducting her morning nesting survey, Volunteer Turtler Nancy Brush came upon the unusual phenomenon of a nesting Leatherback turtle.  The shell of this “smallish” Leatherback measured 43 inches across and 61 inches long.  She left tracks over eight feet wide, and a nesting site nearly 20 feet across.  Marine turtle permit holder Bruce Drye speculates that she is a young turtle, and that she may return to the island beach again soon, as female Leatherbacks nest an average of seven times each season, in average intervals of nine days. 

If you're visiting the coast anytime between May and November - you may have the opportunity to witness this or the hatching of the babies later in the summer!  Please be mindful of these wonderful creatures by clearing your tents and things from the beach at night and turning off any exterior lights so not confuse them by the light.  In the past as children, I remember we used to grab flashlights and try to guide the babies to the water; which we now know is not a good thing to do.  The hatchlings instincts are to follow natural light that reflects off the water; other light is a distraction and can threaten their survival.  

Fun Facts!

• St. George Island and the other barrier islands in the chain are thought to be around 5,000 years old.
• 200,000 years ago, sea level was approximately 350 feet lower than it is now, making Florida about twice the size it is now.
• Eastpoint was founded in 1896 by a communal farming group of settlers from Nebraska and got its name from the town across the bay, Westpoint now known as Apalachicola!
• As many as 300,000 baby loggerhead turtles hatch each year on St. George Island!

• In 1954 Lanark Estates Inc. from Miami FL bought most of Camp Gordon Johnston and named it Lanark Village. With sales offices in New York, Chicago & Washington, they began promoting Lanark Village as a beautiful and affordable place to live.

• Over 250,000 troops were trained at Camp Gordon Johnston and the barrier islands were used for amphibious landing training that was used in both Pacific and European theaters in WWII.

• While the economy of much of Franklin County relies on the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola Bay for much of its income (fishing and oystering) some of the people on the mainland depend on other sources. Another industry is bee culturing which produces about 350,000 pounds of tupelo honey each year and brings income to many local beekeepers.