Beaufort Co.’s first beach turtle nest of 2021 was found... but it wasn’t a sea turtle
Although South Carolina’s first sea turtle nest of the 2021 season was in Charleston County, Beaufort County followed closely with one of its own ... kind of.
The Friends of Hunting Island posted photos on Facebook Thursday afternoon of a newly laid nest and turtle tracks moving away from it with the caption, “We have a nest!!”
The nest was made by a diamondback terrapin, the post said, meaning that, although Hunting Island State Park had the first beach turtle nest of the season in Beaufort County, the countdown is still on for when the sea turtles will arrive.
Thursday’s nest was found by volunteers with the Friends of Hunting Island’s Sea Turtle Conservation Project, who patrol the beach each day during nesting season searching for nests and keeping them safe until hatching occurs. The number of volunteers allowed to take part in the patrol was limited in 2020 and will begin the same way this season because of COVID-19 pandemic safety precautions.
Unlike sea turtles who live in the ocean, their terrapin counterparts live a semi-aquatic life on land and in fresh or brackish water, like salt marshes and coastal waters.
Last year, the first nest found at Hunting Island was from a loggerhead sea turtle on May 4.
Sea turtle nesting season runs from May 1 until Oct. 31 with the mother sea turtles coming ashore at nighttime, laying their eggs in nests and returning 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.
Sea turtle season reminders
Here’s how to be courteous to sea turtles, according to S.C. Department of Natural Resources:
- Report all sick, injured or dead sea turtles and nest disturbances to 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.
