They’re here! Hilton Head reports its first sea turtle nest of 2020 season
Hilton Head Island’s most covert visitors have officially returned for 2020.
The island’s first Loggerhead sea turtle nest was discovered Sunday morning on the island’s north end, according to seaturtle.org and Turtle Patrol leader Amber Kuehn. The exact location of the nest is not public.
Hilton Head Island Turtle Patrol, the group which marks and reports sea turtle nests, was granted its permit by S.C. Department of Natural Resources to operate even as some of Hilton Head Island’s beach accesses are still closed, according to marine biologist Kuehn.
The group located the island’s first nest and it was dedicated to Annette Walker — a late Turtle Tracker volunteer.
Sea turtle season runs from May through October 31 on Hilton Head Island.
Mother sea turtles will come ashore at nighttime, lay their eggs in nests and return to the ocean. After incubating for between 45 and 60 days, eggs begin to hatch and the tiny sea turtles make their way to sea.
The first nest comes on the heels of a record year for sea turtle nests on Hilton Head Island.
In 2019, there were 463 nests on the island. That’s drastically higher than the number of nests reported in 2018 — 179 nests.
It also comes after a summer of advocacy from Turtle Patrol and Turtle Trackers. In 2019, the groups helped write town ordinances that shield lighting, prohibit beach tents left overnight and ban big holes in the sand that can trap tiny turtles.
Sea turtle season reminders
Here’s how to be courteous to sea turtles, according to SCDNR:
- Report all sick, injured or dead sea turtles and nest disturbances to the SCDNR at 1-800-922-5431 so staff and volunteers can respond as soon as possible.
- Respect boating laws, especially in small tidal creeks where sea turtles like to feed. Boat strikes are the leading cause of death for sea turtles in South Carolina.
- Keep artificial lights off the beach at night during nesting season. They can disorient nesting mothers and hatchlings.
- Always respect sea turtles on the beach by observing them from a distance.
- Keep beaches and the ocean clean. Plastic bags and balloons are among the most common trash items found on South Carolina beaches and can cause injury or death when sea turtles mistake them for food.
- Remove large tents and fill in holes before you leave the beach.
This story was originally published May 3, 2020 at 9:34 AM.
