Men charged with taking sea turtle eggs from Florida beach

Photo courtesy: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Two Florida men who state investigators said were found with 500 sea turtle eggs have been arrested.

Treasure Coast Newspapers (https://goo.gl/u1xKbf) report that Raymond Saunders and Carl Cobb, both 50, were charged Wednesday with possession of more than 11 marine turtle species/eggs and illegal taking or disturbing of a marine species turtle nest.

Florida wildlife officials noticed the men just north of Blind Creek Beach in St. Lucie County. Wildlife commission spokeswoman Carol Lyn Parrish says biologists and people who monitor the nests had noticed possible illegal activity for the past several weeks.

Parrish says there is a market for the eggs, noting in some cultures they are considered aphrodisiacs.

The recovered eggs are thought to be loggerhead turtle eggs.

It's not clear whether the two have attorneys.

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Information from: The Stuart (Fla.) News, http://www.tcpalm.com