Poachers Spotted Digging Up Sea Turtle Eggs

Late at night when some Mote Marine Laboratory members were on Nokomis Beach, they were able to thwart the poaching of sea turtle eggs.

The nighttime sea turtle tagging team was on the beach when they witnessed three individuals digging up a nest, but as the team got closer, the poachers re-filled the hole and ran off.

There was a broken egg on the surface, but it isn't known if there were any eggs stolen. The sea turtle nests are marked to protect the eggs.

Sea turtles are protected, and it is illegal to harm any species of sea turtles. It is also illegal to dig up nests or take their eggs. Violations can be met with fines or even jail time.

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