Loggerhead Sea Turtles...first nests of the season spotted

Loggerhead sea turtle  (C) Photo Patti Romano

Loggerhead sea turtle nesting has officially started on the South Carolina coast. On May 12th, Harbor Island announced the discovery of their first loggerhead nest for the season. On May 19th. the Seabrook Island turtle patrol found their first crawl and nest on Pelican Watch Beach.

From early to mid May and throughout the summer, female loggerhead sea turtles will come ashore to nest on southeastern U.S. beaches from North Carolina to Florida. The nesting females, weighing as much as 350 pounds, emerge from the foamy surf after the sun sets and slowly lumber up the cooling sands toward the dunes. The tracks they leave in the sand are unmistakable--at quick glance they resemble tire tracks coming up out of the ocean.The solitary loggerheads return to the same beach three or four times during the summer. At the end of their crawl, the mother turtle clears away the soft sand and spends several hours digging a nest with her hind flippers. Into this nest, which is about 20 inches deep and shaped like a light bulb, she drops about 110 ping-pong ball sized eggs with soft leathery white shells. Then, flinging sand in all directions, the turtle covers the nest and heads back to the moonlit ocean, never to see this nest or these eggs again. The eggs and the turtles inside are then on their own.

Loggerhead hatchling  (C) Photo Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol

What can you do to help the sea turtles survive?

DO fill in all holes and remove beach chairs when leaving the beach. (Sea turtles can easily get trapped!)

DO turn out all lights that are visible from the beach from May 1 to October 31. (Adult turtles will not nest in light. Hatchlings will crawl toward light and never make it to the ocean.)

DO stay away from nesting turtles. Observe from afar.

DO notify local sea turtle patrol coordinators of a nesting or hatching event.

DO keep dogs on leashes in designated areas.

DO learn more about these wonderful marine creatures.

Hatchlings on their way (C) Photo Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol

DO NOT use flashlights or flash cameras during nesting or hatching events.

DO NOT handle hatchlings unless directed by your local sea turtle patrol.

DO NOT probe into or dig into newly laid turtle nests.

DO NOT leave trash or plastic on the beach. Plastic bags can be mistaken for food (like jellyfish) to sea turtles and will harm or even kill them.

Loggerhead hatchlings "boiling" from nest (C) Phtot  SITP

Join the South Carolina Aquarium on Saturday, May 23rd from 10 am to 2 pm to celebrate World Turtle Day. Turtles face many threats to their survival and have declining numbers in the wild. World Turtle Day offers a rare opportunity for Aquarium guests to see many species of turtles including sea turtles, salt marsh turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises all in one place at one time. Visitors will enjoy speaking with turtle conservationists who actively participate in the rescue efforts of sea turtles, and they can learn how each of our daily decisions affects turtles and wildlife and wild places.

Additional Sea Turtle Hospital tours will be offered from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm for an extra fee (Adult $10, child $5). Call 843-577-FISH to book tours ahead of time.    www.scaquarium.org

 SCDNR Marine Turtle Conservation Program: www.dnr.sc.gov/seaturtle/

 To report a sea turtle sighting:  www.seaturtles.org/istor