It has been a quiet week for the turtles of Seabrook Island. Perhaps they are waiting for World Sea Turtle Day in June. Nest 7 was found on Tuesday, May 20 by Penny Mallory, Melinda Yocum and Debbie Fink (not pictured) just South of Boardwalk 5. A safer spot away from the high tides was found for 90 eggs in the dunes. Penny and Debbie were the lucky walkers that found nest 4 last week. Keep up the good work ladies! By this time last year we had 9 nests and in 2023 we had only 2 nests.
A loggerhead turtle was spotted this week on the beach by Tammy Medlock “near Privateer Point” around 6:30 in the evening. She posted this amazing picture on NextDoor, which was forwarded to the Turtle Patrol walkers. They could find no evidence of the evening visitor. Please notify SI Turtle Patrol (843.310.4280) or Seabrook Island Beach Patrol (843.718.6083) as soon as possible if you see a mama turtle on the beach, especially during the daylight hours. This will allow members of the patrol to take a look at the crawl and see if there was a nest laid. These numbers are also available on the SI Turtle Patrol website.
Other wildlife that has been noted by the patrollers is an armadillo near Boardwalk 9 and coyote tracks near Boardwalk 5. Fortunately, the coyote did not disturb the nests in the area. Unsurprisingly, deer were also seen in abundance.
The primary activities for the Turtle Patrol this week consisted of picking up trash and filling in some large holes. You can help the Sea Turtles and other animals, including the human variety, by packing up all your belongings and leaving the beach as you found it, using filtered red lights on the beach at night, picking up after your pets and staying below the dunes.
If you have been following the trials and tribulations of Rose, the Green Sea Turtle, that was cold-stunned and stranded on our beach, I’m pleased to report that s/he is starting to respond well to treatment and getting stronger every day. While s/he still has a long way to go, the current prognosis is encouraging. You can find out more about Rose and the Sea Turtle Care CenterTM on the SC Aquarium website by clicking here.
Submitted by Anne Snelgrove for Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol
(Image Credit: Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol)