Sea Turtles

When you live on an island in Carolina, more than likely, you are well-acquainted with the idea and presence of sea turtles. Because sea turtles are an endangered species, many organizations now exist whose primary purpose is to promote the survival of sea turtles, through efforts such as educating the public, protecting sea turtle nests from people and predators, and even treating sick or disabled sea turtles in sea turtle hospitals with the intent of returning them to the ocean once they have recovered.

This is a nest found near our house recently. When a nest is discovered in a dune, it is labeled and marked off, as you can see from the picture. Because dunes protect barrier islands from destruction during a storm or a hurricane, people are not supposed to touch them in any way. Marking off the nesting area, therefore, just serves as an added measure of protection for the nest, and allows workers and volunteers from various organizations to keep track of the nest during the incubation period. When the nest is ready to hatch, often these same workers or volunteers will sit with the nest until all the hatchlings have made their way to the ocean.

Sea turtles typically lay their eggs from May through August or September. They crawl in from the ocean, usually at night, lay their eggs in the dunes, and then return to the sea. The eggs, over 100 of them on average per nest, then incubate for about 60 days before the hatchlings are ready to break free from the nest and make their voyage to the ocean. Their odds of surviving this journey are not odds I’d like to face. They can be eaten by crabs on the way to the ocean, or by birds or fish once they reach the ocean. They can also be confused by lights and wander away from the ocean, thus ensuring they won’t survive. Because of this, oceanfront properties are requested or required to keep outdoor oceanfront lights off during this season, as the lights would decrease the hatchlings’ odds of survival and can be disorienting to the mother sea turtles as well.

So, if you find yourself someday in one of the tourist shops on any of the Carolina islands, you’ll likely see a nod to the sea turtles in many of the items for sale, like these pendants

or this magnet,

for instance. And if you happen on one of these marked nests in the dunes, ask around. If you talk to the right people, the ones who are tracking the nest in particular, you might just be able to catch a hatching. I’ve never met anyone who’s stayed up for a sea turtle nest hatching who hasn’t said it was well worth it.