Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Anthony (from left), Ryan, John, Callie Strouse (director of guest experience at the JW Marriott), and Jack and Grace from Naples. Those black plastic bags were filled with trash picked up from under the Winterberry boardwalk.
Marco Island Police Department’s sea turtle team held an open house in preparation for sea turtle season starting on May 1. Missing from the photo is the group from Rookery Bay.
Meet Typhon, a three-year-old Harris Hawk with professionally trained falconer, Michael. Typhon helps keep nuisance wildlife away from the JW Marriott resort.
From left: Nathaniel O’Donnell, MICA board member, looks on as Tracy Tirrell, JW Marriott Director of Marketing, and Callie Strouse, JW Director of Guest Experience, sit with Typhon on a balcony overlooking the beach.
A big thanks to April’s Beach Cleanup Sponsors: JW Marriott (led by hotel manager Michael Lamey) and Boucher Brothers Management, all wearing Love Your Beach t-shirts, holding grabbers and bags ready to pick up beach trash!
The Hilton Beach Resort Team, led by Chris Adams, is joined by Dianna Dohm of the Marco Chamber of Commerce. The Marco Chamber has been a beach cleanup sponsor for the last 11 years!
South Beach sign indicating park hours from 8:00 AM to dusk. A barricade will be placed across the South Beach walkway entrance at dusk to help restrict access to the beach.
Thanks to all the volunteers who participated in the April 11 Beach Cleanup at South Beach. They collected about 175 pounds of trash.
Over 75 volunteers met at the South Beach entrance for a beach cleanup on April 11 and picked up more than 175 pounds of trash. A big thanks to the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce, a beach sponsor for the last ten years. Returning this year as a sponsor is JW Marriott. Michael Lamey, hotel manager, added that they look forward to supporting the City and Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee beach cleanup efforts.
New sponsor Elias Rosa, general manager for Boucher Brothers Management at the JW Marriott Marco location, said they are focused on protecting our wildlife and sea turtles. Also, thanks to Sunrizon Realty, Carla Masse Group for their first beach cleanup! A big shoutout to Chris Adams Hilton team, Marco Island Academy Key Club members, MIPD, and the many volunteers who stopped by to lend a hand.
There is a new sign at the entrance to South Beach: Park Hours – 8:00 AM to Dusk The sign is attached to a barricade and new to many beach walkers. The City of Marco Island, in cooperation with the Collier County Parks Department, is working together to ensure that the Swallow Avenue parking lot is secured to limit parking after hours and also provided the barricade to be placed across the South Beach walkway entrance at dusk to help restrict access to the beach.
According to Don Evans of the Cape Marco complex, they are concerned with the large crowd of shark fishermen who are loud and go past midnight and how it will impact the sea turtle season starting May 1 and running through October 31.
At the April 6th City Council Meeting, according to Councilor Schwan, “after the presentation of my White Paper and my recommendation, there was Council consensus to have the City Attorney draft an ordinance language regarding nighttime shark fishing during sea turtle season.” Schwan added that during the 2024 election cycle, this topic was part of her campaign, as she was concerned about the safety of sea turtles in relation to shark fishing.
Schwan was referring to this question posed to the six City Council candidates in August 2024 by the Marco Island Civic Association: “2500 signatures have been received to Ban Shark Fishing and Blood Baiting Practice from Marco Island: What is your position on this topic?”
Fast forward to 2026, land-based shark fishing is still a hot button issue dominating City Council discussions from the March 2 Shark Awareness Forum, the March 16 City Council Meeting, and continuing through April.
A Sea Turtle Open House was hosted by Marco Island Police Department on April 8 with speakers from FWC, Collier County Sea Turtle Protection Program, and Rookery Bay. They touched on topics of what the State, County, and City are doing to protect the sea turtles during turtle season.
The Collier County Sea Turtle Program speakers gave an update on the 2025 Sea Turtle season, which officially ended on October 31, 2025. Overall, the 2025 sea turtle season was more successful compared to 2024, with no tropical storm damage. Unfortunately, the City of Marco recorded the most false crawls at 310.
On an upbeat note, according to Marco Code Enforcement Officer Ed Curry, they only issued five sea turtle lighting ordinance violations for the entire 2025 season!
In other beach news, meet the incredible Harris Hawk, Typhon, and his professionally trained Falconer, Michael. If you happen to be walking by the JW Marriott resort on Wednesdays and Saturdays, you might see Typhon flying overhead patrolling his resort territory and keeping nuisance birds away.
According to Tracy Tirrell, Director of Marketing for JW Marriott, “Our approach to managing nuisance birds is rooted in working with nature, not against it. Falconry allows us to humanely introduce a natural predator’s presence, helping keep unwanted bird activity in check. Our Harris’ hawk, Typhon—affectionately known as our ‘defender of French fries’—plays a big role in making the experience more enjoyable for guests dining at Quinn’s on the Beach and Kane Tiki Bar and Grill, as well as for those spending time on the beach.”
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