The turtles will crawl again, Turtle Watch founder says as nesting season nears

Last year's digging up of South Walton's sea turtle nests for relocation to Florida's east coast due to the oil spill will not affect this year's number of nests or eggs, said South Walton Turtle Watch head Sharon Maxwell.

"Maybe 20 years from now, we might see the effect, but not this year," said Maxwell almost a year after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that killed 11 and led to the oil spill that marred the 2010 nesting season.

At age 20 is when those moved hatchlings will return to lay their own eggs, Maxwell explained. "We won't know until then what effect the move had," she said.

Last year's mother sea turtles won't return to these shores until 2012 or 2013 as they only nest every second or third year. But when they do get ready to nest again, they will return here, said Maxwell. Nesting season begins between May 1 and mid-May, depending on water temperature.

Gulf waters must be 82 degrees or more before sea turtles will come ashore. The season goes through Oct. 31, but usually ends by the end of August.