Sea turtles made nearly 350 nests on Hilton Head Island this season
Sea turtle hatchlings are starting to make their way to the ocean as Hilton Head Island’s nest count nears 350.
Sea turtle nesting/hatching season begins May 1 and ends Oct. 31. Nesting season ends in mid-August and hatching season begins July 1.
This year’s nest population made 343 nest on the island. The previous year this population nested on the island about 291, which makes this year an increase, but not a record according to Amber Kuehn, a marine biologist and director of Hilton Head Island’s Sea Turtle Patrol.
On average there are about 120 eggs in each nest meaning 41,160 sea turtle eggs were laid this season. In 2022, nests had a hatch percentage of about 76 percent, or 3 out of every 4. However, only about one in 1,000 will make it to adulthood, according to previous reporting from the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.
Different factors contribute to successful hatch percentage like rainfall, heat and predators.
Protecting the hatchlings
Nurturing and protecting sea turtles on Beaufort County’s beaches means following these rules
Remove large tents, chairs and personal property from the beach when leaving.
- Dismantle sandcastles and fill in holes when leaving the beach.
Don’t touch a sea turtle on the beach. Observe them from a distance.
Follow boating laws, especially in small tidal creeks where sea turtles like to feed.
- Keep artificial lights off the beach at night during nesting season.
- Beach front homes must shade or turn their lights downward.
- Keep beaches and the ocean clean.
Plastic bags and balloons can cause injury or death when sea turtles mistake them for food
Source: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 12:54 PM.
