Sea Turtle Season Going Strong

According to press releases issued by each state, both South Carolina and Georgia are seeing record numbers of sea turtle nests so far this year, and there are still several weeks of nesting season remaining. At print time, S.C. had an incredible 7,358 nests, which surpasses the previous record of 6,466 nests, set in 2016. Georgia has 3,574 nests, more than double last year’s total of 1,735, and even exceeding the 2016 record of 3,289.

Georgia Sea Turtle Program Coordinator Mark Dodd, expects about 4,400 nests by the end of the season. This will most certainly help raise the sea turtle grade of a “C” on the 2018 Coastal Georgia Ecosystem Report Card.

Both states reported early nests this year. Sea turtle nesting season runs from May 1 through October 31 each year, but both states reported their first nests on April 26. Georgia’s first nest was a loggerhead, on Cumberland Island while South Caroline’s first nest was a rare Kemp’s Ridley, the world’s most endangered sea turtle species, on Hilton Head Island.

South Carolina reports other unusual events this season, too, including a high number of “day nesters.” Sea turtles typically come ashore at night to nest, but this season, multiple females have been witnessed during the day.

“Day nesters tend to be pretty rare, isolated events,” said biologist Michelle Pate, who oversees the SCDNR sea turtle program. It’s not clear why so many females are nesting during daylight hours this year, but some possibilities include harassment during emergence at night and extremely dry sand conditions due to a lack of rain, which can hinder females from digging a nest cavity.

The first nests have begun to hatch in both states. South Carolina’s first was the Kemp’s Ridley nest on Hilton Head and Georgia’s first was on Cumberland on July 2.

As a reminder, state and federal laws prohibit the harm of or interference with sea turtles or their nests. Harassment includes any activity that changes a mature or hatchling sea turtle’s natural behavior.

“Sea turtles are wild animals – let nature take its course and allow them to use these beaches like that have for millennia,” said Pate.

Reminders:

• Do not use flashlights or any other lights on the beach at night, including camera flashes. This artificial light can prevent turtles from coming to shore, induce nesting turtles to stop and return to the water, and confuse hatchlings attempting to reach the water. • If you do encounter a sea turtle on the beach, remain quiet, still and keep your distance. • Keep watch for swimming turtles when boating. If you strike a turtle, stand by and report it to (800) 2-save-me (800-272-8363) or (800) 9225431 in S.C. Also report any dead or injured turtles to these numbers. • Support your state’s sea turtle programs. In S.C. visit www.dnr.sc.gov/ seaturtle/index.htm, in Ga., visit georgiawildlife.com/donations. To see up-to-date nesting information, visit: www.seaturtle.org/nestdb/

Mama loggerhead on Ossabaw Island. Photo by Caleigh Quick, GADNR

Hatchling heading for open water. Photo by Erin Weeks, SCDNR