TradeWinds teams up with non-profit in hopes of educating tourists about sea turtle safety

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - Spring break is in full swing, and a resort on St. Pete Beach has teamed up with a sea turtle non-profit with the hopes of educating beachgoers about sea turtle safety.

TradeWinds Island Resorts and Sea Turtle Trackers recently put signs up on the beach outside the resort with information about sea turtles and nesting season.

"Many of our tourists here don't actually know the importance of the initiative and why it's so important to the beach community," Avi Yesawich, the managing director at TradeWinds, said. "So, it [the sign] has the dos and don'ts of what you can expect and how you can identify nests, how you can protect the nest and really just showcasing how it's possible for us to make sure we have a viable community for the sea turtles in a way that benefits both them and the guests that are here on the beach."

READ: Meet the rare sea turtles rescued from Massachusetts being treated in Apollo Beach

The resort and the sea turtle non-profit have been partners since 2017, offering educational turtle trek beach walks for families and other initiatives. Along with the new signs, they’re increasing the number of weekly turtle treks and offering educational discussions weekly for guests.

"It's very important, because I'm getting information out to the people," Joseph "Turtle Joe" Widlansky, the vice president of operations for Sea Turtle Trackers, said.

Widlansky said they start sea turtle nesting patrols in April, but it’s important to get the message out to beachgoers now. 

"Clean up. Take whatever you bring in to the beach, bring it off the beach. If you’re digging holes… I’ve seen holes that are bigger than a truck out there," Widlansky said.

MORE: Pinellas County sees decrease in sea turtle nests after Hurricane Idalia

He said it’s also important to invest in amber or red lights, especially if your property faces the beach, something Yesawich said the resort has. Artificial lights can confuse the turtles and guide them away from the ocean, which can be dangerous.

"We understand how important the sea turtle situation is in our community, and we have an obligation as a responsible partner to make sure that we do everything in our power to protect the sea turtle nesting situation and environment," Yesawich said.

TradeWinds is also investing $5 million in a film-coating property-wide that will reduce the glare of light at night, and is phasing out its 650 cabanas in exchange for lighter chairs.

"We want to be able to have the ability when it's lighter seating times and less, high impact periods, that we can remove those from the beach. That way, we can store them in areas where there's more open seating area and nesting area for the turtles to really, enjoy the beach," Yesawich said.

They hope to have the upgrades finished by July 4, 2024. Sea turtle nesting season runs from May-October.

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