Nearly 100 Turtle Hatchlings Rescued by Sarasota Cop

A Sarasota Police officer came to the rescue of about a hundred sea turtle hatchlings that were headed in the wrong direction toward certain doom in a parking lot and street on Lido Key.

Officer Derek Conley was on patrol over the weekend when he spotted several sea turtle hatchlings crawling toward the front door of the Lido Beach Resort, 700 Ben Franklin Dr.

Someone checking into the resort told Conley there were more turtles in the parking lot. He and several other guests grabbed a box and began collecting the hatchlings, Sarasota Police said. As they did, they found even more turtles on the sidewalk and in the middle of Ben Franklin Drive. 

"Officer Conley stopped traffic several times to rescue the turtles from the street," police spokesperson Genevieve Judge said.

After gathering close to 70 hatchlings, Conley and the resort guests took the turtles to the beach and released them into the Gulf waters. On their way back, they found even more turtles and again rounded them up and released them in the water.

In all, between 90 and 100 turtles were recovered and released. Conley did see three dead hatchlings, Judge said.

The officer contacted turtle rescue experts and reached out to Mote Marine with details about what happened.

"Not only do our officers serve and protect the humans of the City of Sarasota but they also serve and protect the animals," Judge said.

Turtle nesting season lasts through Oct. 31. If you see disoriented sea turtles on the beach — or in a parking lot or street, for that matter — call law enforcement.