Sea turtle advocates concerned about powerboat races in Cocoa Beach

Powerboats are gearing up to roar along Brevard County's coast, but sea turtle advocates in the area are concerned because nesting season is just getting underway.

Members of the Sea Turtle Preservation Society are meeting with race representatives Friday over concerns about this weekend's boat races in Cocoa Beach.

"We tried to get the race moved to a different time," said Dave Cheney, with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society.

The Thunder on Cocoa Beach Space Coast Super Boat Grand Prix brings some of the best competitors to Central Florida to kick off the racing season, but it comes at the beginning of the nesting and mating season for sea turtles.

Members of the group said turtles could end up injured or killed with more boats in the water this weekend. More loggerhead sea turtles call Brevard County home than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere.

This is the seventh year for the boat race, and no sea turtles have been injured or killed, officials said.

The race is huge for the tourism industry in the area, officials say. Last year's race brought about 110,000 people and $9 million to Brevard County.

"(It's) definitely a down time right before Memorial Day for the hotels and so forth, so it's a great economic impact for the area," said Kerry Bartlett, the race's director.

Sea turtle advocates are not just concerned about the boats, though.

Sea Turtle Preservation Society representatives said the race attracts a lot of spectators in their boats to watch the action.

"Generally, they're trying to do everything they can to avoid the turtles," Cheney said. "It's just with that large number of boats out there, it just increases the possibility."

Bartlett said there will be sea turtle spotters on two boats and in the air via a helicopter.

"We do everything we can — more than any other event, more than recreational boaters do on a regular basis," Bartlett said.

The super boats will be on display in downtown Cocoa Beach on Friday and at Port Canaveral on Saturday. The race gets underway on Sunday along Cocoa Beach's coast.