SATELLITE Beach, Fla. – Volunteers with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society (STPS) are working tirelessly to rescue sea turtle hatchlings trapped in thick sargassum seaweed pushed ashore by rough waves and heavy winds.

The current weather conditions, influenced by multiple hurricanes and storm systems, have created a challenging environment for the vulnerable turtles.

Terri Watkins, a volunteer with STPS and member of the stranding team, explained that the sea turtle hatchlings, also called post-hatchlings, rely on the sargassum in the Gulf Stream as a nursery.

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“Because the sargassum is getting pushed onshore, the sea turtles are actually getting trapped back on the beach,” she said.

The rough seas and strong winds are typical during Florida’s hurricane season, sometimes occurring once or twice a year. This year, the volume of hatchlings found has been significant.

“We found easily almost a hundred hatchlings in this section of the beach alone,” Watkins said.

Volunteers systematically sift through piles of sargassum, which can be two and a half to three feet deep in places, searching carefully for camouflaged hatchlings.

The work is physically demanding and requires safety precautions due to trash mixed in with the seaweed. “You have to wear gloves for your own safety as well as the sea turtles,” Watkins noted.

If beachgoers find a sea turtle hatchling, they are urged not to touch them or put them back in the water. “

They don’t have the instinct to swim back out to the Sargasso Sea. They become easy prey,” Watkins said.

Instead, people should call the local sea turtle emergency hotline so trained volunteers can rescue and rehabilitate the turtles.

Kris Marvin, STPS volunteer coordinator, described the rescue process, saying “We take them to sea turtle healing centers such as the Brevard Zoo. They treat them there, give them fluids, and then they get a coast guard ride back out into the ocean.”

The volunteers’ dedication is evident, with some working for hours in difficult conditions.

“It gives you a thrill that you can barely explain… it fills you with such hope and such joy,” Jamie Oliva, an eight-year STPS member and volunteer, said.

The rescue efforts will continue as long as the weather conditions push sargassum ashore.

Watkins emphasized the importance of community involvement.

“If you see a sea turtle on the beach, call the emergency hotline. They can’t help themselves, so we need to do our part to help them,” Watkins said.