Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol will inventory Nests #46, #79i and #51 on Monday, August 15, 2022 at 5:00 pm and Nest #52 on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 5:30 pm.
Nest #46 is located on North Beach about 200 yards south of the bird sanctuary. Next will be Nest #79i, a nest considered to be a “ wild nest” because it was laid about 60 days ago but remained undiscovered until Friday when it began to hatch. It is located about 180 yards south of the bird sanctuary. The team will then move to Nest #51 which is located 150 yards south of boardwalk 2. Boardwalks 1 and 2 are the nearest beach access. Nest #52 is located 100 yards north of the kayak shed at Camp St. Christopher. Boardwalk 9 is the nearest beach access. Click here to see a map showing the location of the boardwalks.
The timing of these inventories may be modified without notice in the event of inclement weather.
Turtle hatchlings typically emerge from the nest during the night to avoid exposure to daytime predators such as seagulls. This is called a boil because it really does look like a boiling event when the baby turtles emerge all at once from the nest which is a hole in the sand.
About three days after the boil, the Turtle Patrol team performs an inventory. They count the empty shells as well as the eggs that have not hatched for a report to DNR. Sometimes, some of the hatchlings are still at the bottom of the nest and haven’t made it out yet. The inventory team helps these hatchlings down to the water’s edge where they can gather strength for their journey across the ocean. We can’t always promise there will be hatchlings to see, but when there are, it is very exciting!
We expect to continue to perform inventories until all nests are removed from the beach which typically occurs in mid-September.
-Submitted by Jane Magioncalda for SI Turtle Patrol