There are many reasons why doing Turtle Patrol is rewarding. The most obvious are the ability to make sure the mamas lay their nests in a safe place as well as help the new hatchlings down to the water.
We are on the beach at 6:30 or 7:00 am and many times see the most beautiful sunrises. Also, on occasion, we see a deer checking out the beach – and us – as in the picture above.
Monday, August 15 – Babies and crabs are the story for the morning.
Zone 1: Only news was lots of crab holes to fill in including one right in the middle of nest 60 where the crab was seen going down the hole.
Zone 2: Babies were coming out of Nest 32 as the walkers got there so they supervised the babies journey to the sea.
Further down the beach, Nest 36 had dead babies on the top which were buried at the water’s edge.
Zone 3: 7 tracks out of Nest 39 and crab holes (again) in Nest 37
Zone 4: Nest 31 showed the post boil indentation. Nest 38 has boiled
There was also a sighting of human hatchlings (see Photo)
Tuesday, August 16 – Tracks and babies everywhere!
Zone 1 baby from Botany helped back to the water
Zone 2 #35 had a depression and tracks, #32 had tracks and a shell, #36 had a hatchling at a crab hole who was saved and helped to the water, #43 had a depression
There is a dead sand shark on the beach at boardwalk #9.
Zone 3 #39 tracks, #40 tracks, #34 ants
Zone 4 #31 one more track out.
We are busy and over half our nests have been inventoried.
We checked nest # 60 and found that all the remaining 61 eggs had died in early development. We removed the nest from the beach. Sorry it didn’t work out. We tried.
Wednesday, August 17 – Zone 1 All nests intact. No crab holes and soft sand.
Zone 2 # 35 boiled, #32 – 2 dead hatchlings at nest, #36 indentation, old turtle track
Zone 3 #40 lots of tracks, #39 indentation, #29 indentation 1 baby track. we inventoried nest on 8/15. #42 few hatchlings tracks
Zone 4 #31 indentation, #38 indentation , pink flag at end of dike has hatchling tracks. It will be checked when we are down there this afternoon for the inventories of # 31 and # 38.
Thursday, August 18 – Zone 1: Nest 41 has boiled.
Zone 2: Nest 43 had one shell on top
Zone 3: Indentations as previously reported with the addition of an indentation on 46
Zone 4: All nests are fine with slight indentation on 48.
Friday, August 19 – The storms stayed off shore as the walkers checked our nests and pink flags.
Zone 1: Nest 41 had a shell on the top. The dolphins were enjoying the morning at the end of the beach so provided a nice break in their walk.
Zone 2: Nest 35 had a trowel left by the nest but no signs of digging. Nest 43 had old tracks and an indentation. There were shells at a crab hole in front of Nest 49. Nest 36 had a crab hole. Nest 56 looked like something was digging at the nest but did not get in to the nest. Judy tried to create a nest by digging in to an indentation near the pink flag by the rocks. No date remained on the pink flag but the Sea Turtle site indicates it was 6/27 so timing is right. Did she quit digging too soon? Probably just wishful thinking but worth watching.
Zone 3: Tracks out of Nest 42 with a crab that was chased away from the nest. Nest 40 has boiled. Crab hole in 52.
Zone 4: No nest activity but a dead stingray with a sharp barb was on the beach.
Saturday, August 20 – Zone 1 nothing new. No tracks from #41 it had rained. Softened the sand on #’s 44 and 45
Zone 2 again nothing new. #43 had a large hole and #53 had the hole from the animal.
Zone 3 #42 had a large crab hole that they filled in. There was a crab hole next to 42 and # 46 with shells and a partly developed hatchling at it. They were all buried near the water. Softened the sand on #54 and 50.
Zone 4 all quiet but the birds and a crab have a big dinner.
Sunday, August 21 – Zone 1 all quiet. No prints at # 41
Zone 2 all quiet, nice breeze. Loosened the sand at # 43.
Zone 3 # 51 had 2 hatchlings on the surface – see photo
softened the sand on # 51,44,40.
# 46 and 47 were ok.
Zone 4 # 57 is sanded over again 
# 48 had a small indentation
Both nests need to have the sand softened – PHAT team?
See you at the inventory starting at # 41 at 3:30 this afternoon. Enjoy the day.
Submitted by Gary Fansler, Beautsie Zahrn, Terry Fansler and Judy Morr