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July 15, 2004 There’s a little place my husband and I used to go when we needed a vacation of total R&R. It was a serene place where the only “noises” you heard were the sounds of the various species of birds and the gentle lap of the waves from the Gulf of Mexico. We especially loved it because the natural resources and wildlife were faithfully protected by the locals. Its quiet shell beaches and its pristine beauty attracted people from as far away as England and Germany. It was a place to relax body, mind, and spirit and bathe in the warm Gulf waters. The island had a natural rhythm, a gentle pace to its days. Mornings in the pool, reading under the sunbrellas after swimming, followed by a late lunch. Afternoons spent walking the beach, looking for the perfect shell and swimming in the Gulf. Late afternoon naps, dressing for dinner, dining after seven. The night was topped off by watching glorious sunsets while strolling on the beaches. It was idyllic. The needs of nature were respected by the law stating “no lights on after dark to protect the nesting loggerhead sea turtles and their hatchlings.” The darkness was appropriate to the peaceful evenings as we watched distant lightning storms away out over the water. Nature and humanity at peace. We hadn’t been to this island for a few years and decided a return was in order. The place I’m writing about, Sanibel Island, is a barrier island off the west coast of Southern Florida. We loved going there. Note that the verb “to love” is in the past tense, please, because we were in for a surprise. Over the past few years a change in “needs” has occurred and it is not a welcome change. The need for profit seems to have replaced the need to protect the wildlife. The creature that has been most affected by this change in attitude is the loggerhead sea turtle, a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It seems that some of the local resorts, inns, and hotels on Sanibel have put keeping the paying human guests happy above helping to keep these endangered creatures alive and flourishing. The nesting season for these turtles is from May to October and they are carefully monitored by the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation during this time. Residents and vacationers to the island are given flyers on these magnificent sea animals. The information on the flyers is as follows: “The female turtles come out of the sea at night to create sandy nests where they lay approximately 40-180 eggs. They do this two to three times a season. Within fifty-five to sixty- five days the eggs hatch and the hatchlings emerge from their nests after dark using the light from the horizon to orient themselves to the water. Artificial light near the beach can disorient them and lead them away from the water where they will soon die from dehydration, exhaustion, or run the risk of being crushed by cars.” It goes on to tell us that local ordinances require that interior and exterior lights NOT ILLUMINATE the beach year-round in order to protect the natural order of the loggerheads. People and the owners of the various resorts and inns used to strictly abide by this ordinance on their private beaches. Not this year. Obviously priorities have changed. My husband, Alan, and I were startled when, around eight-thirty at night, on the July 4th weekend, some vacationers decided to “celebrate” by setting off fireworks on the private beach of the inn where we were staying, one of the many beaches where the loggerhead turtles nest and where their eggs hatch. The beach where, earlier in the week, we had seen several sandy mounds on the beach that had been roped off and clearly identified and marked as loggerhead turtle nests, had booming fireworks lighting up the sky and the beach. I called the front desk of the inn and told the woman who answered what was going on down at the beach. To my surprise, she sounded annoyed, not because of the fireworks, but because of my complaint! Her comment was: “Well, it is the Fourth of July!” I was temporarily speechless. When I pressed my point, mentioning the turtles, she said she would “see to it, dear.” She didn’t. After the call my husband and I went out went out to meet friends for a late dinner. When we returned to the inn around eleven-thirty, we were greeted by the same fireworks on the beach as before we left! A fellow vacationer walking back to her room said it had been going on for over two hours and when she had called to complain, she was told it was “being seen to.” By the time Alan and I had gotten back to our room, fully intending to call the police, the fireworks had stopped. We looked out from our balcony but could see no one on the beach. My husband called the desk, said we had been out, and inquired about whether anyone had done anything about the fireworks. He was told by the night staff that the situation had been taken care of a couple of hours ago! The next day we talked with other early risers from the inn as we walked on the beach surveying the litter from last night’s “celebration”. One of the people, who said she and her family came to the island every year, told us: “This has been happening every July fourth for the last three years. At least last year they cleaned up after themselves. It seems to happen pretty much all over the island.” We were appalled. The day we were checking out I talked directly to the manager and he hemmed and hawed, halfheartedly agreeing with me about endangered species and clean beaches. But he let me know how he really felt when he said: “You know, these are paying guests, same as you, and I guess they have a right to have a good time for their money. They didn’t do anything really wrong. We have to keep the guests happy. It doesn’t cost us much to let them have a little fun” We didn’t answer him, we just paid our bill and left. Both of us were angry and disgusted over his statement. Paying guests do have a right to have a good time but not at the expense of the environment and their good time certainly shouldn’t cause the deaths of endangered species. I am sure that most of the proprietors on the island care about the creatures native to the area and the cleanliness of their beaches. I’m sure they obey the laws regarding protecting the environment and its inhabitants. But when a few hotel owners disregard the laws in the name of making a monetary profit, they are destroying it for everyone. It is deceitful to hand out flyers to paying guests outlining the ways to protect the environment and then turn a blind eye when the law is broken just to “keep the paying guests happy.” I guess, they don’t have to keep the loggerhead turtles happy, after all, they are not paying guests. We won’t be returning to this particular inn. If we do return to Sanibel we’ll make sure that wherever we stay the owners have a respect for the environment. I am sorry that we didn’t call the police on July fourth. The management should have had to explain to town officers why they allowed their guests to break the law. Perhaps having to pay a hefty fine for disturbing the environment will make them realize that “keeping the paying guests happy” will cost them. A lot. ------------ About the author Kristen Houghton: Working on a book of short stories, I write a column, "The Writer's Block" on observations of everyday life and a column for educators called iTeach! Email: Krisnalan@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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