Hilton Head just broke its record for sea turtle nests, a protection group says. Here’s how many
This summer has been one of the best for Hilton Head’s loggerhead sea turtle population.
The Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Patrol announced a record-breaking 343 sea turtle nests have been found on Hilton Head’s beaches so far in 2026. And their eggs will begin to hatch this month.
The nest numbers
Loggerhead sea turtles come to the East Coast’s beaches each summer to spawn. Many come to Hilton Head Island, and statistics from the Sea Turtle Patrol show they’re coming in larger numbers each year. From 2000 to 2009, the total nests per year never exceeded 200. Since 2010, it’s exceeded 300 nine times. More than 400 were found in 2019.
Loggerheads have laid 343 nests since the first was discovered on May 14. The Sea Turtle Patrol found 237 total last year. The nesting season runs from April to September, so there are more nests to come. Female loggerheads lay three to five nests per mating season, and they mate every two to three years.
When will they hatch?
The first nests should begin hatching this month. Eggs hatch about 60 days after nesting, according to the Sea Turtle Patrol, and they will continue to hatch through October.
Loggerheads are considered a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Coastal development, pollution, accidental catching and other human-related threats have harmed their populations. Protecting loggerhead nests is important because, according to the Sea Turtle Patrol, only one in 100 hatchlings will survive.
You can help nesting and hatching sea turtles by following the Sea Turtle Patrol’s “Put the beach to bed” policies. Here’s what you can do:
- Fill in all holes dug on the beach
- Remove all items from the beach
- Turn exterior lights off by 10 p.m. if your home is beach-side
- Use red-tinted flashlights on the beach at night
- Don’t touch or interfere with sea turtles if you encounter them
- Report sick or injured sea turtles to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at 1-800-922-5431
Hatchlings use the light of the moon to find the ocean at night and artificial light sources can disorient hatchlings. The Town of Hilton Head has ordinances designed to protect hatchlings from artificial light. You can keep up with nest totals on the Sea Turtle Patrol’s website.