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<\/p>\nST. PETE BEACH, Fla. \u2014 Loggerhead sea turtle nests on St. Pete Beach are down by 50% this season, which could be blamed on a number of contributing factors, according to Sea Turtle Trackers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very concerning,\u201d said Bruno Falkenstein, Sea Turtle Trackers founder. \u201cIt could be the sand, it could be people out here with lights. It could be any number of different things.\u201d<\/p>\n
So far, there have been 24 nests with 65 false crawls, compared to last year at the same time when there were 50 nests with 45 false crawls, according to Falkenstein.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich is very unusual. Usually, the ratio is one-for-one,\u201d he said. \u201cUsually, if you have a false crawl, you usually get a turtle nest the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contributing factors to the low nest numbers could include beach renourishment, hotel guests partying by the water at sunset who leave chairs behind, bright lights from both night shark fishing and beach patrols by Pinellas County Sheriff\u2019s Office deputies, according to Sea Turtle Trackers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s more people out on the beach than there normally would be at nighttime,\u201d said Falkenstein. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to look at some of the hotel cameras and see a lot of people out here with flashlights.\u201d<\/p>\n
A screenshot from one of those surveillance cameras shows headlights illuminating the beach from a deputy\u2019s overnight beach patrol. Sea Turtle Trackers Beach Operations Director Joseph Widlansky said he has seen seven sets of tire tracks going through turtle crawls.<\/p>\n
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Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on a night beach patrol. (Photo Courtesy: Sea Turtle Trackers)<\/p>\n
\u201cLess frequent patrols\u2026 that would be the ideal thing,\u201d he said. \u201cThey could put turtle-safe lighting on their headlights.\u201d<\/p>\n
City Commissioner Jon Maldonado, who represents the Pass-a-Grille area where the turtles typically nest, said he wants to see a grant pursued to better equip the deputy\u2019s vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need the sheriff out here patrolling for safety. Making sure that folks are not doing things that they shouldn\u2019t be doing. And also, just to check on our wildlife,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we need to make sure that the proper equipment\u2019s there for safety reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beach patrols for public safety vary, according to Corporal Jamie Miller.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan be in either a Polaris or a Tahoe,\u201d she stated. \u201cDeputies are aware and educated about turtle nesting season and know to take precautions during beach patrols.\u201d<\/p>\n
Widlansky said night shark fishing has greatly increased on the beach this season and their bright lights scare the turtles too.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re out here a lot more often than they used to be,\u201d he said. \u201cThey like to use white lights, bright lights, lanterns, anything so they can see what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maldonado believes shark fishing from the beach not only harms the sea turtles, but endangers swimmers as well, and wants it banned.<\/p>\n
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A 12-foot hammerhead shark was caught on Pass-a-Grille. You can see the headlamps’ use for fishing. (Photo Courtesy: Shark Crossing Charters)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to follow the models that are being set by some of our neighboring cities when it comes to banning shore-based shark fishing,\u201d he said. \u201cI know that there\u2019s an industry out there. I do believe that there\u2019s compromises to be made. There\u2019s the Bayway.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Shark Crossing Charters<\/a> owner Yuseff Ali confirms he has been fishing in Pass-a-Grille a lot more this year than in the past. Ali said he used to show up about once a week, but as his business has grown, that number has gone up to five times per week. The charter owner said he never fishes during daylight hours, only uses small headlamps when necessary and disputes his activity has been affecting the sea turtles.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had sea turtles come up right up next to us, 25 feet from us. Go up into the dunes, lay their eggs, and come out,\u201d he said. \u201cThe lights only come on when we\u2019re hooked up, or we\u2019re on a fish, or we need to see what we\u2019re doing so we can successfully land our fish and release them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Ali said if the city tries to ban shark fishing he\u2019ll fight it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been fishing for years. This is my livelihood. This is my business,\u201d he said. \u201cI will fight for my right, and we will keep shark fishing going.\u201d<\/p>\n Indian Shores was the first Pinellas County beach town to ban shark fishing in 2023<\/a>. Town Administrator Christina Porter said the city council will look at revising the ordinance next month after being contacted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) that the law conflicts with the state agency\u2019s jurisdiction.<\/p>\n FWC Communications Coordinator Pebbles Causseaux sent Spectrum News a statement about the Florida Constitution rules that govern shark fishing.<\/p>\n \u201cFlorida Statutes\u2026 reserve the power to regulate the taking or possession of saltwater fish to the State,\u201d she stated. \u201cWhile allowing a local government to prohibit saltwater fishing from real property owned by that local government for the purposes of protecting public health, safety, or welfare.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Causseaux also stated that it is unlawful to place chum in the water for the purposes of fishing from a beach or wade fishing in waters immediately adjacent to a beach. A baited hook must be used when fishing with line gear.<\/p>\n Sea Turtle Trackers said they\u2019re raising the issue as the city commission considers a new wildlife lighting ordinance with more restrictions on lighting in conjunction with a beach ordinance which would prohibit leaving unattended fishing lines. The current lighting ordinance in St. Pete Beach prohibits lighting which purposely and flagrantly illuminates nesting sea turtles or hatchlings<\/a>.<\/p>\n A loggerhead turtle crawling back to the Gulf after laying eggs in May 2025. (Photo Courtesy: Sea Turtle Trackers)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/sea_turtle_st_pete_beach.jpeg\")
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