The glorious Seabrook Island summer will soon be here and the 2023 Turtle Patrol Season is off to an auspicious start. We hope that our new residents and visitors have the opportunity to find out more about the amazing Loggerhead turtles that use our beaches for their nesting grounds. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have if you see our patrollers out early in the morning in their brightly colored red shirts.
You don’t need to leave your home at the crack of dawn to battle high tides, gnats and sand in your shoes to help the turtles. Everyone, even the youngest child, can help the turtles by knocking down sand castles, filling in holes and removing your chairs and other paraphernalia when you leave the beach. Also, if you are on the beaches at night, please use red filters on your flashlights to keep from disturbing the nesting turtles.
Nest #1 – May 14, 2023
The timing of the arrival of our first nest on Mother’s Day couldn’t have been more appropriate. Walkers Nettie, Neva, Rachel and Marshall Carter along with Valerie and Mark Doane were thrilled to spot the crawl between Boardwalks 5 and 6. Click here for the complete Tidelines article.
We didn’t have any other nests this week but don’t despair. Last year we had the second greatest number of nests in Seabrook Island recorded history and our second nest didn’t arrive until four days after our first. Even when we don’t find nests, turtle patrol has other rewards. We experience amazing sunrises and the occasional frolicking deer in the surf.
-Submitted by Anne Snelgrove