The excitement of the new season is upon us and South Carolina had its first nest on April 29, 2024 in Garden City, south of Myrtle Beach. Photo is courtesy of Garden City Surfside S.C.U.T.E, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) permit MTP524.
As always we are grateful for the support and interest we receive from everyone on the island. Please feel free to approach anyone you see wearing the bright colors of the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol. We are happy to connect with you and answer any questions you may have. The number one question we hear every year is what can an ordinary person do to help? Well, since you asked:
- Report all sick/injured/dead sea turtles and nest disturbances to the SCDNR at 1-800-922-5431 so that staff/volunteers can respond as soon as possible.
- Respect boating laws and boat cautiously, especially in small tidal creeks where sea turtles like to feed. Boat strikes have emerged as the leading cause of death for sea turtles in South Carolina.
- Keep artificial lights off the beach at night during nesting season – this includes beachfront property lights and flash photography, which can disorient nesting mothers and hatchlings.
- Always respect sea turtles by watching from a distance on the beach if you are lucky enough to observe a nesting turtle.
- Keep our beaches and ocean clean by avoiding single-use plastics. Plastic bags and balloons are among the most common trash items found on South Carolina beaches and can cause injury or death when sea turtles mistake them for food.
- Feel free to dig holes and build castles in the sand but fill those holes and level the castles before you leave the beach.
- Carry all chairs, coolers, grills, umbrellas and other beach paraphernalia off the beach when you leave.
Whether you live here year-round or visit in the summer, we all love the beautiful beaches, marshes and habitats that these protected marine animals are utilizing. Sadly, the primary cause of injury and death for sea turtles in South Carolina are boat strikes but you can help these remarkable creatures.
If you’re enjoying summer days from a boat, please remember the following and know that you can do your part to keep our native wildlife safe:
- Wear polarized sunglasses.
- Watch out for sea turtles and other native marine animals like dolphins and manatees. You can even designate an onboard “wildlife watcher”.
- Go slowly in shallow areas such as inlets and tidal creeks – many juvenile sea turtles enjoy these shallow areas to forage for food and can’t get out of the way of boats quickly.
- During nesting season (May 1 – August 31) stay at least ½ a mile offshore of nesting beaches. When females are preparing to come on shore to lay their eggs they will often wait in the waters off the beach where they are planning to lay their eggs, making them susceptible to fast moving vessels.
If you are lucky enough to see a sea turtle pop up from the water and take a breath, the SCDNR has a new and easy to use app to report sightings of the sea turtles and the manatees in the area. The app is called ArcGIS Survey123 and is easy to use and can be downloaded onto your smartphone from the app store. Or you can download the app using the QR code shown below or on the signs that can be found in local Marinas including Bohicket.
Whenever you see a live, uninjured sea turtle in the water you can let the SCDNR Sea Turtle Team know by opening the ArcGIS Survey123 app and just click on “Continue without signing in.” These apps are only for reporting live, uninjured turtles or manatees. Remember if you encounter a hooked, injured, deceased sea turtle or have any concerns regarding a sea turtle or a sea turtle nest, call the 24/7 SCDNR Wildlife Hotline: 1-800-922-5431 to alert our SCDNR Sea Turtle Biologists so that they can respond.
Thanks again for all your help and we look forward to a productive and exciting sea turtle nesting season.
More information on various volunteer opportunities can be found here.
Questions? Email us at Hello@SITurtlePatrol.com
-Submitted by Annie Snelgrove for Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol