Bill Baggs FIRESIDE TALKS: Turtles, Tides & Tales from the Deep

TURTLES, TIDES and TALES of the DEEP

Join our guest speaker Rumya Sundaram, Head of Citizen Science, for a fascinating look inside the park’s turtle nest monitoring program. As the 2026 season comes to a close, Rumya will share intriguing discoveries, moonlit connections, and unexpected tales gathered while protecting and studying these gentle giants along our shores throughout Key Biscayne.

• MEET Rumya Sundaram for her turtle presentation.
• EXPERIENCE the Park in the Dark.
• TEST your own knowledge about our local and migratory turtle population.
• LEARN more about the critical work of the Turtle Research Project and the work they have done over the last decades.
• ENJOY Lite bites and refreshments and th company of like-minded friends.
• KNOW you are supporting this incredible park and the people who safeguard it.

Tickets required for all Members and Non-Members.

TICKETS

• FREE for Friends of Cape Florida Members and Lighthouse Ambassadors (proof of membership required).
• $19 donation for non-members.
• To become a Member or a Lighthouse Ambassador click on the links.

TIME: 6:30 PM to 8:30PM

LOCATION: Sunset Pavilion D-18 by the seawall.

ABOUT THE PROJECT: Every year conservation agencies and volunteers survey 825 miles of Florida beaches looking for nesting sea turtles. The nesting data is then reported to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who uses this information to track population trends and response to conservation efforts, and to develop beach and sea turtle management policy.

The Florida Park Service protects 108 miles of natural beaches where sea turtle nesting regularly occurs. With the help of dedicated volunteers and interns, trained and permitted park staff conduct morning nesting surveys on 40 nesting beaches every day during nesting season, March 1 to Oct. 31.

This group of individuals call themselves the Turtle Patrol. They search the beaches for new nests by following “crawls” left in the sand as female turtles hunt for a spot to nest. Sea turtles are quite large, the biggest species reaching up to 4,000 pounds, so the tracks left behind are hard to miss. Each species has a distinct crawl pattern. Turtle patrol members are trained to read the crawls and determine what kind of turtle laid the nest.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Park entry fee required.
• In case of inclement weather event will be re-scheduled.
• Bring a reusable cup - we try to make all FOCF events zero-waste.
• Bathrooms close by.
• Event is ADA accessible.
• Free parking for all ticket holders.
• Bring bug spray if you are sensitive to bites.
• Sponsored by the Friends of Cape Florida.