Beachgoers witness baby sea turtles race toward water on Anna Maria Island

Beachgoers got a treat on Anna Maria Island on Sunday evening when they witnessed a sea turtle nest hatch and the hatchlings race to the water.

The baby turtles started their trek around 8:05 p.m., said Albert Graveley, who was on vacation on the Island with his family from Boca Raton.

“It was an amazing experience for my family and myself to see how the turtles ran from their nest to the water,” Graveley told the Bradenton Herald.

Graveley captured the hatchlings race toward the Gulf of Mexico in videos that showed a crowd gathered around the turtles, cheering them on.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said, “I’m glad I can share it with others.”

As of Sunday morning, sea turtles had laid 466 nests on the island during the 2018 nesting season, which runs May 1-Oct. 31. Of those nests, 27 had hatched, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch.

This story was originally published July 23, 2018 at 8:21 PM.