It's the middle of turtle nesting season. Adult turtles are coming ashore to lay their eggs. But Sarasota and Manatee beaches are seeing a high number of turtles getting lost.
Mote Marine Lab Sea Turtle Patrol has recorded 23 instances of disorientated adult turtles so far. That means turtles are straying away from their nesting beaches. That number is more than double the 10 observed last year, and the 15 in 2011.Mote patrols the beaches from Venice to Longboat Key. Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch director Suzi Fox says 6 of those instances happened on her beach in Manatee County. Fox says it's just not normal for turtles to leave their nesting beaches.
"One trend that we're seeing is in these areas that it's happening, the nesting beaches themselves are extremely narrow", said Fox .
Fox says they hope to replenish the beaches with more sand by the time this nesting season is over.