Volusia County’s Environmental Management Division
is asking the public to help find a nesting loggerhead turtle that
disappeared from the beach in Ponce Inlet early Monday morning.
According to sea turtle specialist Jennifer
Winters, a loggerhead turtle crawled onto the beach to nest near the
Beach Street ramp, possibly after low tide at 2:30 a.m. The turtle’s
tracks went up the ramp west of the gates and ended at the pavement.
“The area was searched extensively, but due to
thick vegetation and private property, we couldn’t find it,” Winters
said. “We want to find this turtle, even if it expired naturally.”
Anyone who finds the turtle or saw anything
suspicious should call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission at (888) 404-3922 or the county’s Environmental Management
Division at (386) 238-4668 or (386) 238-4716.