Huge Green Turtle found dead on Miami Beach

Miami Dade’s Sea Turtle Permit holder Bill Ahern is assisted by marina staff in loading this big girl into the Turtle Truck

This enormous female will head to the National Marine Fisheries Service where a necropsy will be preformed to determine the cause of death.

Miami Dade’s Sea Turtle Rangers are not only responsible for surveying beaches for nests during the nesting season, but also the rescue of any injured turtles, as well as salvage of any dead turtles. Data from all the activities of the Sea Turtle Program is sent to state organizations to help manage and protect the turtles. It is very rare for the staff to encounter a green turtle of such a massive size, and equally odd for there to be no apparent cause of death.  It’ll be up to the National Marine Fisheries Service to perform a necropsy (an autopsy performed on an animal) on this poor girl and figure out what exactly what ended the life of this beautiful animal. Our thanks goes out to the Dock master of Miami Beach’s 5th Street Marina for assisting the Sea Turtle staff with this hefty mission. We couldn’t have done it without you!

 

Violet Blanket Octopuses wash up on Crandon Park beaches

The Violet Blanket Octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus) is a rare pelagic denizen of subtropical and tropical surface waters worldwide. Their pelagic nature makes encounters with this species occur infrequently. This week two females washed up on Crandon Park beaches, both were found holding underdeveloped egg masses. Usually females will guard the eggs in their dens until babies emerge. Afterwards, the females typically die as reproduction is the end of a female octopuses life cycle.  The eggs were not close to hatching, making finding these moms dying prematurely even stranger.

Violet Blanket Octopus with eggs

 

Sea Turtle Nesting Season is in full swing.

This Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nest is our eleventh nest for this year on Key Biscayne. Miami-Dade County conducts nesting surveys on Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, Golden Beach, Haulover Beach, and Fisher Island. These stakes and signage protect the nests from being run over by vehicles as well as being trampled on by humans. If you would like to see these babies after they hatch check out miamiecoadventures.com to make reservations for our hatchling release programs. Registration begins July 1st.

 

Sandhill Crane chick!

Sandhill Crane chick approx. a month after hatching. Come on over and check the little guy out @ Crandon Gardens.

Sandhill Cranes mate for life, choosing their partners based on dancing displays. Displaying birds stretch their wings, pump their heads, bow, and leap into the air. Although each female usually lays two eggs, only one nestling typically survives to fledge. Mated pairs and their juvenile offspring stay together all through the winter, until the 9- to 10-month-old juveniles finally separate from their parents the following spring. During migration and winter the family units group together with other families and nonbreeders, forming loose roosting and feeding flocks—in some places numbering in the tens of thousands. Eggs, nestlings, and injured or sick adults may be hunted by foxes, raccoons, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, crows, ravens, eagles, and owls. Cranes attack aerial predators by leaping into the air and kicking their feet forward. They threaten terrestrial predators by spreading their wings and hissing, eventually resorting to kicking.

 

 

Natural Beaches Rock!

Learn the importance of keeping beaches natural.
Thanks to Audubon Society for providing the valuable resource.

 

Sea Turtle Awareness

Linda Lentin K-8 Center

In honor of the rapidly approaching onset of the sea turtle nesting season, one of our senior naturalist and Sea Turtle Ranger, Argelio Chaviano, teaches the kids at Linda Lentin K-8 Center about these fascinating creatures.  These outreach programs are being conducted at various title 1 schools, contact us to book your own outreach programs.

 

Sandhill Cranes Nesting

Sandhill Cranes
(Grus canadensis)

Looks like our resident Sandhill Cranes have made themselves a fine nest on a small island inside of Crandon Gardens.  Typically gestation time for this species is about 29-32 days. We might get a chance to see some babies! Wish them luck!

 

Bear Cut Blooms

Beach Jaquemontia (Jaquemontia reclinata)

 

Jacquemontia reclinata is a member of the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae) that is restricted to the southeastern coast of Florida. Much of the primary habitat of this species, beach coastal strand and maritime hammock, has been destroyed or altered for residential and commercial construction. Fewer than 1,000 individual plants exist, placing this species under the category of endangered. They are found in small, widely separated populations in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, where habitat loss and modification place this species at a high risk of extinction. Habitat conservation and management and reintroduction efforts are needed to ensure the survival of this species.

 

Bill Ahern, Miami-Dade’s Lead Sea Turtle Ranger and Capt. James Baker of the Finway, stand alongside 34 pounds of fishing line collected at Pelican Harbor Marina through Miami Dade’s Fishing Line Recycling program.  The collective total for Haulover, Bill Bird & Pelican Harbor Marinas totals to approx. 217 lbs since the start of the program.  The program started up in 2005 through a grant provided by University of Florida’s Sea Grants Program and continues through  the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmostpheric Sciences.The collection bins that can be found at most Miami Dade Marinas and Fishing Sites were installed by a local group of Eagle Scouts.  Thanks go out to everyone who assisted this effort: The Kelley Fleet, New Moon, Finway, Free Spool, The Therapy, The Spellbound & all the dock Hands & community fisher folks for helping keep this threat to our marine life out of our waters and coastal communities.

That’s a lot of line!

 

 

 

 

Carrollton School Bayside Canoe Trip

It was a beautiful, sunny day on Biscayne Bay this Saturday morning. We were accompanied on the still bay waters by a group of dads and daughters from the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart. Here are some shots of the trip;

Even boarding the boats can be fun!

The flotilla heads out on the bay!

Family fun time!

The Mangrove Upside-down Jellyfish ( Casseopia xamachanna) commonly found in the bay waters. These unique jellyfish lie on their backs in shallow, clear water.

Entering Mosquito Creek

Inside the fringing mangrove forests we found Thorny Sea Stars
(Echinaster spinulosus)

The Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis)
provide overwatch as the group heads back to the marina, another great day on the water complete.

Check us out @ http://www.miamiecoadventures.com and reserve your own adventure!