Story: Florida Keys Webcam Captures Sea Turtle Hatch
Locator Super: Florida Keys
Video: Video to match this story can be downloaded in both SD and HD 720P formats from the Florida Keys News Bureau's FTP site. See note below. B-roll with infrared video showing turtles emerging from their nest, File video of the camera positioned at nest and SOTs with Harry Appel (pronounced ah-pell), president of the Keys-based Save-a-Turtle.
TRT: 02:30
Filename: KeysTurtleCamHatch.mov
Video Source: Florida Keys News Bureau

FTP Information
Host: ftp://news.fla-keys.com
UserID: floridakeys
Password: islands
Folder: News Video
Filenames: KeysTurtleCamHatch.mov
                    KeysTurtleCamHatch_720p.mov

It is best to access and download files from the FTP site using a dedicated FTP software package such as Fetch.

A live-streaming, high-definition "turtle webcam" positioned on a beach in the Florida Keys has recorded the hatch of about 100 baby loggerhead sea turtles.

The webcam, with recorded video to be available at www.fla-keys.com/turtlecam, has been focused on the nest in the Lower Keys for almost two weeks. Friday evening, the 3-inch-long babies erupted from a hole, came out en masse and headed to the Atlantic Ocean under dim moonlight.

The camera uses infrared lighting so hatchlings won't be confused by artificial light and will go to sea — guided by moonlight reflecting on the water -- instead of pushing further onto land.

"This webcam is high-definition, the first time ever used (to record a turtle hatch), and also an infrared IR-emitting light that is so important because it does not disturb any of the activities of the turtle trying to find the ambient light of the moon," said Harry Appel (pronounced ah-pell), president of the Keys-based Save-a-Turtle organization, that helped to coordinate the webcam in partnership with the Florida Keys tourism council that funded the effort.

The webcam is part of ongoing efforts in the Keys to raise awareness of sea turtles and the need to protect them.

"It's so important here in the Keys to protect these nests and these turtles," Appel said. "They've been around for millions, maybe hundreds of millions, of years."

Loggerhead, green, leatherback, hawksbill and Kemp's ridley sea turtles nest on beaches in the Keys and other parts of Florida, and inhabit Florida and Keys waters. All five species are considered either threatened or endangered.

The webcam was approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Note to Editors/Producers: In order to protect the nesting site, we are not able to provide a specific location as per instructions from the state and federal wildlife official

To view the live “Turtlecam”, visit www.fla-keys.com/turtlecam

For more information on the Florida Keys & Key West, visit www.fla-keys.co.uk

-Ends-

July 2014

FOR MEDIA INFORMATION ONLY:

For more information and images, please contact Jo Thomas at the Florida Keys & Key West UK Press Office on 01825 763636 jo.thomas@kbc-pr.com 

www.fla-keys.co.uk