Leatherback turtles, the largest of all sea turtles, are passing our area on the northern migration. After nesting in Central and South America, they head to the cooler waters of the Northern Atlantic to forage over the summer. The leatherbacks favorite food is cannonball jellyfish and they are plentiful right now. Look for these large black turtles just offshore!
4-18-22 A tiny Kemps ridley was the first stranding of '22.
4-18-22 Bill, our stranding certified volunteer, measured and painted and buried the Kemps ridley. He will send a report to SCDNR.
Volunteer Walter flew over the DeBordieu renourishment project on Sunday April 22.
5-5-22 Loggerhead false crawl at S. Litchfield Beach
5-13-22 Maribeth found the season's first crawl just south of Prince George. The turtle didn't nest but will hopefully try again tonight.
5-18 -22 Pat St found this U turn false crawl south WW#6.
5-18-22 Gimpy mad a second nesting attempt but was not successful.
5-20-22 Gimpy has a distinctive crawl due to her missing left rear flipper. It leaves an indention up the center made by the stump left by the missing flipper. She has made up to 18 attempts to deposit one clutch of eggs. In 2019, a volunteer actually assisted Gimpy in digging her nest. She deposited her clutch of 120+ eggs...YAY!
5-20-22 This is a typical open chamber left by Gimpy because she can't dig deep enough to drop her 100+ eggs. Loggerheads use their hind flippers to excavate the chamber, alternating right and left. When she instinctively reaches in to take out sand with her left, she gets none. A coyote was interested in Gimpy's attempt and left multiple tracks.
5-21-22 One of 5 false crawls on Hobcaw Beach this morning. This one was in Ocean Green where the turtle made a U turn.
5-21-22 Wendy was happy to see a typical body pit with nest potential north #4mm.
5-21-22 The turtle came up to the king tide line. Wendy knew it would need to be relocated if eggs were found. If ocean water pools on a nest it can suffocate the eggs.
5-21-22 Under Wendy's guidance, Michael probed the body pit north #4mm and located the egg chamber! He got to do his first nest relocation. of 108 eggs + 1 for DNA.
5-21-22 Michael accomplished the relocation of HOB01 to safer habitat south #6mm for incubation. We are proud of you Michael!
5-22-22 This crawl lead up to the Ocean Park walkway and appeared to be a nest.
5-22-22 The body pit appeared to show a nest was beneath. The fluffy sand denotes digging and covering of the nest.
5-22-22 Chelsey, working toward certification, carefully probed the nest and located the egg chamber of DEB01... YAY Chelsey!
5-22-22 Chelsey and Steven show off a protected and marked DEB01.
5-22-22 Duane and Trisha finished their Middle walk and went to check out the Ocean Park crawl, observe and help retrieve supplies. The DEB01 team documented the event with this happy photo!
5-23-22 X marks the body pit of HOB02 where Steven located the egg chamber.
5-23-22 Steven protected HOB02 with a staked screen and recorded the nest data on the sign.
5-23-22 HOB03 was laid up on a dune but has no background. At hatch time we will surround the back of the nest with black landscape material. This will keep the hatchlings from crawling toward the marsh and will head them toward the ocean.
5-24-22 DEB02, located by Beth, was laid in a good location and left natural.
5-24-22 Anita and Beth document the first nest of their day, DEB02
5-24-22 DEB03, located by Anita, was not laid in an ideal area. Tidal inundation could suffocate the eggs. They relocated the nest of 112 eggs up to safer habitat.
5-24-22 Job well done, Beth and Anita, protecting DEB03!
5-24-22 Martha found this crawl with an open chamber due to a web of roots from dead bushes. The turtle did not nest (HOBFC11)
5-25-22 Mark photographs Gimpy's 9th attempt at nesting since 5/17. This time she was successful! Her missing left rear flipper left a stump. That imprint up the middle makes her crawl easy to identify.
5-25-22 Gimpy laid her nest high enough on the beach for safe incubation.
5-25-22 Donna St. successfully located the egg chamber of DEB04 between DeBordieu and Prince George! The nest was in a good location and left natural.
5-26-22 Susan, walking with Mitzi and Debbie, found this crawl with nest potential north #3mm on Hobcaw.
5-26-22 The body pit, with thrown sand behind, indicated the turtle excavated sand. After going through the field signs with her trainees, Susan gave each an opportunity to probe.
5-26-22 Mitzi and Debbie were excited to participate in their first turtle nest, HOB04!
5-27-22 This turtle crawled up to the slant of the dune to an ideal location for her nest.
5-27-22 Probing, Lori found a soft area and dug down in search of an egg chamber.
5-27-22 With eggs found, Michael and Lori check out the chamber.
5-27-22 While Michael fetched supplies, the nest was perfectly detailed for the 55-60 day incubation.
5-27-22 Michael and Lori are the official nest parents of DEB05!
5-27-22 DEB05 team!
5-29-22 This nest north #12mm near Prince George had all the classic signs of an egg chamber beneath. It was also laid in an ideal location...smart mama!
5-29-22 These squiggly swirls up the center of the crawl could be from a barnacle on the female's plastron. This helps give the turtle an identity. We will watch for a crawl like this in about 2 weeks if she comes back here to nest.
5-29-22 Trainer Steven said Chelsey studied the crawl before beginning to probe. It only took her 15 tries before she located the soft sand of the nest!
5-29-22 Chelsey happily shows off the DNA egg from DEB06:)
5-29-22 Brandie recognized this was a false crawl by the uninterrupted tracks...HOBFC13.
5-30-22 Jean found this crawl, which went up to the base of the dunes, in front of N. Beach Villas
5-30-22 Jean found this crawl, which went up to the base of the dunes, in front of N. Beach Villas
5-30-22 With some guidance from Beth, Jean located eggs! They protected the nest...DEB07.
5-30-22 This turtle encountered the construction pipes on her incoming crawl.
5-30-22 This turtle encountered the construction pipes on her incoming crawl.
5-30-22 The turtle went up on the beach, turned to exit and went into a large hole. She managed to crawl out of the hole but did not nest during this effort.
5-30-22 Steven found this crawl which may have been another effort just south. He probed and located eggs but knew it needed to be moved to a better location. He carefully relocated 130 eggs to a good spot north #1mm...HOB05 Yay!
5-31-22 One of 3 natural nests Beth found on the North this morning. This one is south #16mm at Prince George. She gave up the southernmost one to Anita who is close to certification and needed one more nest.
5-31-22 DEB10 crawled in on a rising tide and out on a falling tide.
5-31-22 Probing, Anita found a soft area and dug carefully down to locate eggs!
5-31-22 Anita proudly shows DEB10 protected for the 55-60 day incubation.
6-1-22 Pat St. found this crawl near #15mm at Prince George. It had all the classic field signs of a nest and was in a perfect location. She probed and located DEB11!
6-1-22 This crawl in Ocean Park was also a classic and laid in a good spot. Donna S., worked with Trisha training her in how to probe and locate the soft sand of the chamber.
6-1-22 Trisha found an area that gave way when she was probing. Donna instructed her to dig down until she found eggs. She did and touched her first turtle egg!
5-31-22 Congratulations to Anita, our first certified volunteer of the 2022!
6-5-22 This may be a second attempt to nest by a turtle who made a false crawl earlier. She was seen Saturday night at 8:30 emerging from the surf but turned and went back into the water.
6-5-22 Carolyn found this crawl in the Middle that had a large disturbance, 2 body pits and sand thrown far away. Besides Carolyn; Lori, Michael and Martha all probed. Bill was called and located a very deep chamber with large eggs. He noted the track looked like a green rather than a loggerhead. DNA will tell!
6-5-22 Green sea turtle tracks are wider than loggerhead. This was 41.5 in. wide and the flipper marks were parallel. Loggerheads are alternating.
6-5-22 Michael stands in the nest area. The egg chamber is where the reed is located.
6-5-22 DEB14 is in the beach pathway of this home and was taped off so they will need to walk around it. Fortunately, these are turtle-friendly folks and will be excited to have 2 nests to watch over!
6-6-22 Debbie found this crawl where the turtle appeared to bump along the low dune before deciding to exit.
6-6-22 This turtle came in south #14mm on Hobcaw and dug a body pit high near the vegetation.
6-6-22 Steven found this crawl with a body pit high up on the dune. He located it and left it natural.
6-7-22 Mitzi digs down to find eggs while Trisha looks on.
6-7-22 The DEB15 relocation was a good opportunity to educate this grandfather and grandsons.
6-7-22 Moving 143 eggs twice makes for a long morning. Trisha and Mitzi did a great job on their first relocated nest!
6-7-22 The DEB15 team gave this nest a better home on the slant of the dune than where it was originally laid in a flat area prone to tidal inundation.
6-8-22 The dark sand tells volunteers that a turtle has dug here and likely laid eggs!
6-8-22 Trisha, with instructor Donna, confirmed this was a nest...DEB16 south WW#6!
6-8-22 This crawl south WW#3 was an older crawl with no evidence of tracks out on the beach.
6-8-22 Chelsey tries to determine where to begin probing in the long plowed up area.
6-8-22 The egg taken for DNA shows a dime size halo indicating the nest was about 3 days old.
6-8-22 With eggs found and nest protected the DEB17 team, Chelsey and Trisha, pose to document the event!
6-8-22 Duane and Jim discovered this crawl and body pit just south #9mm on Hobcaw. The turtle climbed high to lay her nest out of harm's way.
6-8-22 Jim holds the egg that will be used for studying this turtle's DNA.
6-10-22 The crawl of DEB18 also had a distinct V in it. It may be the same turtle as the one who tried on Hobcaw and in the Middle.
6-10-22 DEB18 laid her nest high and dry for the upcoming King tides, etc.
6-10-22 Maribeth honed in on the soft area with her probe and dug down to find eggs!
6-10-22 Pat and John found this U turn crawl just south WW#6.
6-10-22 Michael and Bob examine a U turn false crawl just south of Ocean Green.
6-10-22 Lori and Michael let their Friday turtle walk be a part of their 11th anniversary celebration!
6-11-22 A turtle crawled up to the low dune, turned around without nesting and crawled back over her incoming tracks.
6-11-22 Robin found this crawl south #11mm on Hobcaw. The turtle laid her nest below the spring tide line in a flat area prone to flooding.
6-11-22 Robin decided to relocate the nest and found only 121 eggs! We have seen this in the past and believe it could be the age, health of the turtle or environmental issues.
6-11-22 With such a small clutch, we will see how well only 20 eggs (1 taken for DNA) incubate over the 55-60 day period.
6-12-22 A nest like this one today in the Middle at WW#6 is a gift because the turtle is very concise making it easier for the volunteer to zero in on the most likely area for the egg chamber.
6-12-22 DEB19 was laid in a perfect spot above the spring tide line at the gentle rise of the dune.
6-12-22 Lori captured the sun as it came out of the horizon on Prince George.
6-12-22 At about the same moment as Lori took her sunrise photo, Brandie took hers on Hobcaw.
6-13-22 This tidy turtle left Buffie a nest to hone her probing skills. She easily located DEB20!
6-13-22 Mark and Mitzi found this crawl in Ocean Park but were not able to locate eggs.
6-13-22 This turtle that had a false crawl in Ocean Park has an issue with her right front flipper. It leaves a double impression.
6-13-22 Our 3 flippered turtle Gimpy, who has visited DEB/HOB/NTH for the past 25 years, unsuccessfully attempted to lay her nest again last night. She is missing her left rear flipper. Her crawl is identified by the stump impression up the middle of her crawl.
6-13-22 A turtle attempted to come ashore in Ocean Green but changed her mind. Steven found this U turn loop.
6-13-22 HOB09 crawled up high to deposit her eggs on Hobcaw south #6mm. Steven easily located the egg chamber!
6-14-22 Beth and Jim found a meandering crawl at Prince George with a body pit up on the dune in the grasses.
6-14-22 The chamber of DEB21 shows the turtle had to cut through roots to dig her chamber.
6-14-22 Kathi and Trisha had a U turn false crawl in the Middle. The 5 reeds denotes false crawl.
6-14-22 The Middle false crawl was from a turtle with a barnacle on her belly (plastron). It gives her crawl a signature look. We will be looking for her return tomorrow!
6-14-22 After a false crawl, Gimpy successfully laid a nest of 129 eggs! It was below the spring tide line so Martha and Judy M. relocated to a slight elevation near the original location....HOB10. We are so happy for Gimpy's 2nd nest of the season!
6-14-22 Judy M. got some good experience on Hobcaw today with all the activity! She probed, located, relocated and learned a lot about our flippered summer visitors. Here she proudly stands beside Gimpy's nest after helping Martha relocate it.
6-14-22 Judy got good probing experience. Here, she probes HOB11.
6-15-22 HOB12 had a long way to drop her eggs and return to the ocean. She nested and went to extensive efforts to cover/disguise her nest. She continued toward the dunes before making a sharp pivot and headed home.
6-15-22 The area of fluffy sand in the crawl is where Duane located the egg chamber.
6-16-22 A very clear U turn false crawl is a gift to turtle volunteers who otherwise can spend a lot of time searching for eggs that aren't there. This turtle never stopped crawling.
6-16-22 The crawl of Barnacle Betty shows the squiggle up the middle likely made by a barnacle on her belly. The difference in crawl lengths let Susan know that the turtle spent a significant amount of time on the beach.
6-16-22 Susan easily located Barnacle Betty's egg chamber and left the nest natural...HOB13!
6-17-22 Buffie and Mark found this crawl on Hobcaw which told them the turtle spent a significant amount of time on the beach!
6-17-22 Michael got more probing experience and HOB14 was eventually located!
6-17-22 Relocation of the nest was necessary due to the vulnerable location known for wash overs and puddling.
6-17-22 It was a busy day for Michael taking care of HOB14 by helping locate the chamber, relocating the eggs and carrying the bucket to the new home. Good job Michael!
6-17-22 Congratulations to Donna St. who has earned her SCDNR certification!
6-19-22 Judy K. was excited to see this potential nest at #11mm just south of Prince George.
6-19-22 After considering the location in an area prone to flooding during extreme high tides, Judy did the right thing and relocated the nest to higher ground.
6-19-22 Judy was excited to have SCUTE's 100th nest on her first walk of the season!
6-2-22 HOB16 was found high on a dune south #9mm on Hobcaw and left natural.
6-20-22 Steven and Pat had a busy morning on Hobcaw with 5 false crawls and a nest...teamwork!
6-22-22 Pat O. found this crawl south #8mm with a chamber below the spring tide line (STL). She probed, found the egg chamber and relocated the nest to a bit higher elevation for better incubation.
6-22-22 Pat moved DEB25 with 84 eggs to the gentle slant of the dune.
6-22-22 Duane found the 8th attempt to nest by this turtle we are calling "Lefty". She must have a barnacle on the left side of her plastron which makes her crawl distinctive.
6-24-22 This turtle crawled up to just below the steps of the first house at Prince George. She made a neat body pit which Donna St. probed and located the egg chamber.
6-24-22 DEB26 has a good location above the spring tide line and was left natural.
6-24-22 There was one area of interest in the long false crawl on Hobcaw where there was an interruption in the crawl. Bob gave it a probing but found nothing and put in 5 reeds.
6-26-22 The turtles don't come up very far on this wide part of the beach in the Middle before turning around.
6-26-22 This is one of 3 natural nests Kathi had this morning. She said this turtle wandered along the dune line before nesting HOB19.
6-27-22 This beautiful crawl was laid too low on the beach just south #11mm. Buffie did the right thing after locating the nest and relocated it.
6-27-22 Buffie found a better location for DEB28 above the spring tide line. The 3 reeds denote the nest was moved. This turtle laid105 eggs.
6-27-22 Debbie and Walter found a nest in the Middle south WW#2. Debbie probed the body pit and found the egg chamber!
6-27-22 Debbie relocated 118 eggs from DEB27 to a higher elevation south WW#2.
6-27-22 Chelsey and Mitzi protect HOB20 after Chelsey located it. Thankfully, it was laid high enough on the beach.
6-27-22 Mitzi probed HOB21 and located the egg chamber which is always a thrill!
6-27-22 Mitzi, Steven and Chelsey celebrate their big morning on Hobcaw with a team photo. They had 2 nests and 3 false crawls...true dedication!
6-29-22 This crawl was just north #10 on the North end. It had all the markings of a nest!
6-29-22 Michael and Lori, under the supervision of Pat O. and Pat St., located and relocated DEB29 to safer habitat above the spring tide line.
6-29-22 Gimpy, the 3 flippered turtle, returned right on time for her 3rd round of nesting. She made 2 previous attempts this time and then successfully nested (HOB22)!
6-29-22 HOB23 is the nest of a turtle with a barnacle on her plastron. It leaves a zig-zag pattern in her crawl. Duane probed the body pit up in the grasses and determined it was a nest!
7-1-22 HOB24 was laid in the middle of the wide newly renourished north section of Hobcaw. Bob knew it needed to be relocated.
7-1-22 HOB24 was laid in the middle of the wide newly renourished north section of Hobcaw. Bob knew it needed to be relocated.
7-1-22 Finding additional activity south on Hobcaw, Bob enlisted help from newly certified Lori and Michael. Lori found the egg chamber on her 4th probe. Michael dug the new chamber and went for supplies.
7-1-22 Michael and Lori gave HOB24 a better place to incubate at the base of the dunes. The hatchlings will have a long trek to the ocean.
6-29-22 Michael and Lori are now full-fledged SCDNR certified volunteers... Congratulations to Team Stevenson!
6-30-22 Lourdes documented the relocation of DEB30 with a happy selfie!
7-2-22 This turtle crawled up to the base of the dunes north #11mm near Prince George for a good nesting location.
7-2-22 Jean and Jim working as a team, probed and located the egg chamber of DEB31!
7-3-22 Judy was excited to see this beautiful crawl at Prince George's #15mm
7-3-22 We'll call this photo "Sunnyside up"! One egg is taken from each nest for DNA analysis.
7-4-22 Carolyn found a false crawl just south of the Beach Club. The turtle had not been gone long.
7-3-22 Brandie and Ryan found this long crawl at #13mm that went up to the dune.
7-3-22 This turtle climbed the dune and laid her nest on top out of harm's way. Brandie located the egg chamber on the first attempt!
7-3-22 Brandie and Ryan document their protection of HOB25...good job team!
7-5-22 Pat St. takes the GPS of a potential nest on Hobcaw.
7-5-22 Pat and Martha together located the egg chamber of HOB26 and were able to leave it natural. They felt the turtle was a young one.
7-6-22 DEB33 laid a tidy nest at the base of the dunes out of harm's way.
7-6-22 Pat located the egg chamber of natural DEB33 and protected the nest with a screen and stakes.
7-6-22 Donna had no activity in the Middle so she went to help Pat. This is the crawl of DEB34 south #10mm near Prince George.
7-6-22 Both DEB33 and 34 knew what they were doing and laid their nests in great locations! Donna located the egg chamber and left it natural.
7-6-22 Donna sent this photo of a hole in the Middle. The Georgetown County hole ordinance limits holes to 2 feet deep. Digging implements are limited to children's toys no longer than 12". This hole is in violation.
7-7-22 Pat O. and Debbie, walking the North, found this potential nest just south of Prince George.
7-7-22 Debbie shows her excitement in locating the egg chamber of DEB35, laid in a great location!
7-7-22 With no real field signs of a nesting, Pat St. probes the second effort of DEBFC38 just to be sure.
7-7-22 Susan could find no eggs in this crawl and feels the turtle was interrupted by a curious coyote or other pawed predator.
7-8-22 DEB36 was not located until mid-morning by Buffie* and Mark. They waited until early evening to relocate the nest to a higher elevation
7-8-22 DEB36 has safer habitat for its 60 day incubation.
7-9-22 Two turtles crawled up to almost the exact same location but neither nested here.
7-9-22 This turtle did lay a nest just to the south of the side by side crawls. Maybe it was one of those females trying again. This time she was successful and laid 112 eggs! Wendy had to relocate the nest because it was below the STL.
7-9-22 Wendy selected a good home at the base of the dune for the incubation of HOB27.
7-10-22 This turtle crawled right up to the top of the dune just north of #6mm on Hobcaw to lay her eggs.
7-10-22 The body pit area told Susan this turtle dig a significant amount of digging and covering.
7-10-22 Susan easily located the chamber of HOB28 and left the nest natural since it was up on a good slant.
7-11-22 Steven found this crawl that had good nest potential north #7mm on Hobcaw. You can see the imprint up the middle of her crawl made by a barnacle on her plastron.
7-11-22 Steven probed and located the chamber of HOB29 and left it natural...good location!
7-11-22 This turtle crawled up around #18mm on Hobcaw, encountered dead limbs and roots. She circled around unable to dig her chamber and returned to the ocean.
7-12-22 DEB37 crawls up to the grasses to get her nest out of harm's way. Beth located the chamber of this nest in Ocean Park.
7-12-22 This crawl on Hobcaw is only 9 yds. south of a false crawl from yesterday. We imagine it is the same turtle and this time she successfully laid her nest which Martha located...HOB30!
7-12-22 Martha protected HOB30 for it's 55+ day incubation.
7-13-22 This turtle crawled way up over the renourishment sand between the fences to the more familiar sand.
7-13-22 DEB38 made a concise body pit and Donna was able to easily locate the egg chamber. It is in a great location for incubation although the hatchlings will have quite a crawl to the ocean!
7-15-22 This turtle traveled about 50 yds. trying to decide where to nest between WW#3 and #4.
7-15-22 The wandering turtle decided to lay her tidy nest between the sand fences just north of WW#3. Michael studied the crawl and field signs before he and Lori started probing.
7-15-22 The wandering turtle decided to lay her tidy nest between the sand fences just north of WW#3. Michael studied the crawl and field signs before he and Lori started probing.
7-16-22 This turtle thoughtfully nested just about the spring tide line.
7-16-22 The unearthed darker sand told Jean the turtle definitely dug and laid a nest. She probed and located the egg chamber...DEB40!
7-16-22 Jean put a protective screen held in place by 4 stakes and marked DEB40 on the sign.
7-18-22 This turtle may have laid her nest out of harm's way but it made it more difficult to locate the egg chamber. Buffie persevered and found the eggs in soft sand and roots...DEB41!
7-18-22 Mark found this text book crawl south #8mm above the spring tide line. Because he has done a number of nests this season, he kindly contacted Debbie. She walked up from the Middle and made short order of locating the chamber of DEB42!
7-18-22 Debbie protected natural DEB42 south #8mm for the 55-60 day incubation.
7-18-22 This turtle made a long crawl in a wide part of the beach south WW#8 only to turn and go back to the ocean. She may have swam north and nested south #8mm. Debbie documented this false crawl and then located DEB42 between DeBordieu and Prince George...busy morning!
7-20-22 Pat O. had a crawl with nest potential south #9mm that had been walked on by coyotes. Fortunately, they did not dig. Pat located the egg chamber of this tidy turtle.
7-20-22 Pat made a good decision to relocate the nest and give it a better chance of survival.
7-20-22 The Garden City Beach volunteers shared this photo of a 2 headed hatchling found in a nest inventory.
7-21-22 This turtle laid in an ideal spot on the dune near #11mm. Lourdes located the egg chamber and left it natural.
7-21-22 Duane also had a nest laid in a good location above the spring tide line near #2mm on Hobcaw.
7-23-22 HOB32 was a neat and tidy turtle that used minimal energy to lay her nest near #18mm on Hobcaw.
7-23-22 Duane had a lot of area of potential for finding an egg chamber. This turtle covered excessively for about 10 ft.
7-23-22 Duane made short order of locating the chamber of HOB33 and did so in about 10-15 minutes. Fortunately, the chamber was closest to the dune and above the spring tide line...a natural nest!
Volunteers dig out nest contents at an inventory in July 2019.
7-24-22 Duane dug out the contents of DEB03 and pulled out 10 lively hatchlings that had not made it out on their own.
7-24-22 Everyone was cooperative and formed 2 lines to give the hatchlings a runway to their new watery home!
7-24-22 Volunteers put 10 hatchlings found in DEB03 onto the beach to allow them to instinctively crawl to the ocean.
7-24-22 Hatchlings make their way to the ocean where they would be welcomed by an outgoing tide. They are in for a 60 mile frantic swim to the Gulf Stream where they will encounter the mats of sargassum weed. This gives them a habitat to rest, hide and feed all while riding the strong current of the "big blue highway"!
7-29-22 Pat St., Carolyn and Mitzi were the inventory team for DEB01 in Ocean Park.
7-29-22 Chelsey passed a bucket with 6 turtles for enthusiasts of all ages to see!
7-29-22 A crowd of about 35 gathered for the inventory of DEB01 in Ocean Park.
7-31-22 Michael found a crawl with a promising body pit south #2mm on Hobcaw. He moved on south to find 2 more crawls that turned out to be aborted attempts.
7-31-22 Michael studied the body pit and wasted no time honing in on the possible chamber area and found it!
7-31-22 DEB34 was laid in a good spot above the spring tide line on the low slant of the dune. Congratulations to Michael!
7-31-22 Roots were a problem for DEB10 located just south #8mm on Arcadia. The inventory team sorts shells and unhatched eggs.
7-31-22 Volunteers dug out the nest contents of DEB09 which had a good hatch success of 87%! The Prince George folks at the inventories were very interested in learning about loggerheads.
7-31-22 Bill, Debbie M. and Chelsey discuss inventory procedure before excavating DEB02.
7-31-22 Mark educated an inquisitive crowd at the 2 Prince George inventories which were side by side.
8-2-22 DEB16 had a beautiful hatch at 55 days with about 90 tracks counted! The hatchlings has a long trek to the ocean but all appeared to make it. We will inventory this nest Friday at 6:00 p.m.!
8-3-22 An early morning inventory produced a number of hatchlings found in the chamber that had not made it out. They were released on the beach to imprint and crawl to the ocean!
8-3-22 DEB14, one of 2 green sea turtle nests here this season, hatched at 59 days. Donna took this photo of the numerous tracks indicating a healthy hatch! The nest is located just south of Pioneer Place Villas (WW#2) in front of the peach house.
8-4-22 Tracks from a beautiful hatch down on Hobcaw Beach this morning!
8-4-22 Bill imparted some of his turtle knowledge while DEB12 was being inventoried.
8-4-22 Jean dug out the nest contents of DEB12 while Martha, Debbie Y. and Judy M. counted/sorted the eggs. The hatch success was a good 88%!
8-4-22 Kathi gave the turtle talk while DEB15 was being inventories.
8-4-22 Beth, Mitzi and Trisha, who also relocated DEB15, did the inventory. The nest had a good 89% hatch success!
8-4-22 Kathi educates the growing crowd with her visual aids and turtle knowledge.
8-5-22 This turtle did some twists and turns when she laid her nest making it a challenge for Trisha.
8-5-22 Trisha got some good probing experience, zeroing in on the chamber and finding eggs! Here she is taking the eggs out of the original nest because it was laid below the spring tide line.
8-5-22 Trisha takes a break beside DEB46 that she relocated totally on her own!
8-5-22 Kathi received the gift of a tidy turtle nest and easily located the egg chamber of HOB35. She was about to leave it natural.
8-5-22 HOB35 has a nice homesite to incubate and will have a mid-October hatch date.
8-5-22 While Jim dug out the nest, Betsy and Mitzi counted eggs and sorted them into 2 different categories, hatched and unhatched. The nest had a great hatch success of 96%!
8-5-22 Walter educated and answered questions from the small group gathered at the inventory of DEB16.
8-5-22 The DEB16 send off crowd enjoyed documenting the lone hatchlings last contact with land for 25-30 years, if it is a female. Males never come ashore after leaving as hatchlings.
8-5-22 The DEB16 send off crowd enjoyed documenting the lone hatchlings last contact with land for 25-30 years, if it is a female. Males never come ashore after leaving as hatchlings.
8-6-22 Bill did his homework on green sea turtles and shared what he had learned with a big crowd.
8-6-22 As Chelsey dug out the chamber, Duane and Kathy S. counted and sorted eggs and eggshells while Betsy oversaw the inventory.
8-6-22 Duane and Kathy S. sorted the shells/eggs as Chelsey dug them out of the deep nest. Betsy oversaw the process.
8-6-22 After the DEB14 nest data had been collected, Chelsey climbed in the chamber to show the amazing depth of the nest.
8-6-22 Chelsey was determined to get the entire nest contents out and came up covered in sand...true dedication!
This is a photo from a green sea turtle nest we had in 2017. You can see the difference between greens and loggerheads. Greens have an almost black carapace (shell) with white outlining it and and the flippers. The plastron (belly) is totally white. Their flippers are longer than loggerheads and the overall size is a bit bigger enabling females to dig a 30 in. deep nest!
7-15-22 Loggerheads have a brownish-dark green carapace and shorter flippers. Their nests are about 20-24 in. deep.
8-6-22 Onlookers get a chance to see a viable green sea turtle egg that had not hatched. 2 eggs like this were reburied away from the nest in hopes they will hatch.
8-11-22 Bob educated the small group and answered many questions about loggerheads and the efforts to protect them.
8-11-22 The DEB20 inventory team works to collect the nest data as Bob continues speaking to the growing crowd.
8-11-22 Two hatchlings were found in the nest chamber of DEB20.
8-11-22 Maribeth shows these children the 2 tiny loggerhead hatchlings.
8-11-22 Gimpy's nest had 14 of her hatchlings remaining in the chamber! They were released to crawl to the ocean. Several had flipper issues (inherited??) and needed assistance getting past the first breakers.
8-13-22 HOB12 dated 6/15 had a beautiful hatch with 40-50 tracks counted headed straight to the ocean! This nest is just south of Ocean Green and will be inventoried Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
8-16-22 HOB12 inventory, just south of the last house in Ocean Green, drew a small but interested group.
8-16-22 Anita began to dig but the nest was so deep, Bill was called to excavated the rest of the chamber. He brought out a number of unhatched eggs but no live hatchlings were left in the nest.
8-16-22 This is the DNA of HOB12 which tells us she also laid DEB11 and likes to nest primarily on DeBordieu, Hobcaw and North Island.
8-17-22 DEB24 had a good hatch with 40+ tracks to the ocean. One hatchling was seen making its way out at sunrise.
8-17-22 DEB25 also had a healthy hatch with 40+ tracks counted all heading to the ocean!
8-18-22 This is what the night sky looked like toward Garden City/Myrtle Beach just as DEB23 was hatching around midnight. The hatchlings turned northeast rather than east as they exited the nest, drawn to the glow. Lights Out for Loggerheads!!
8-20-22 One of 2 hatchlings freed from DEB24 had a weak left flipper.
8-20-22 Mark assisted the 2 hatchlings with bad left flippers by carrying them past the first several breakers.
8-20-22 A leucistic hatchling was found during the inventory of DEB25. The condition is a lack of pigmentation leaving the turtle more vulnerable to predators and sunburn.
8-20 22 A small crowd gathered to see hatchlings from the inventories of DEB24 and 25 released to crawl to the ocean.
8-20-22 The leucistic hatchling had no problem making a beeline to the ocean. Good luck little turtle!
8-23-22 DEB27 hatched Saturday but coyotes dug into the nest before it could be inventoried this evening at 6:00 pm. Thankfully, the nest had a good 94% hatch success! Congratulations to Debbie M. who did the relocation!
8-25-22 At the early morning inventory* of DEB28 near Prince George, 4 hatchlings were found in the chamber that had not emerged on their own. Volunteers wait 3 nights after a nest hatches to dig out the contents per SCDNR. Any hatchlings found on excavation are put on the beach to crawl to the ocean.
8-26-22 Debbie shows the one hatchling found in the inventory of DEB26 to another little hatchling!
8-26-22 A small group enjoyed watching and photographing the one hatchling make its way to the ocean.
8-26-22 Thanks to our dedicated volunteers who give freely of their time for our beloved loggerheads!
8-26-22 Lori dug out the nest contents of HOB24 and Michael sorted and counted the shells, etc.
8-26-22 16 hatchlings anxiously scramble around in the bucket ready to make their way to the ocean!
One of 16 makes its way down a small scarp to the ocean.
8-26-22 A small group sees off the 16 hatchlings on their ocean adventure to the Gulf Stream. From there they will catch the current that will take them around the North Atlantic Gyre.
8-27-22 Donna St. helps a couple of hatchling found in the inventory of DEB29. Their weak flippers caused them to go in circles and she eventually carried them out past the breakers.
9-3-22 This photo is one of many waterspouts spotted off shore this Labor Day Saturday.
9-8-22 The inventory team of DEB38 Natural brought out 2 healthy hatchlings that had not dug their way out of the chamber. The nest had a great 92% hatch success!
9-8-22 These 3 turtle friends were excited that 2 hatchlings were found in the nest and got to take part in the release.
9-8-22 The King tides this month have been aggravated by swells generated by H. Earl passing to the east of Bermuda. Our extremely wide beach was even flooded tonight at high tide around 7:00 p.m.
9-8-22 Sadly, we found that DEB39 Natural 7/15 (55 days) just north WW#3 had been inundated by the high tide. It was very close to hatch time.
9-22-22 Evidence of green sea turtle tracks at DEB45 just north WW#5.
9-22-22 The turtles were drawn to the glow of the Grand Strand but then headed seaward.
9-22-22 The smart hatchlings went in a large group and found a clearing to make their escape to the ocean!
9-22-22 Traveling north along the pathway between the dunes and grasses, these turtles finally found a clearing.
9-25-22 Bill gives a turtle talk on greens,
9-25-22 Lori attempts to dig out a very deep nest.
9-25-22 Bill tries to locate the green chamber.
9-25-22 The green inventory team finally retrieves the nest contents plus one live hatchling!
9-25-22 Green hatchling with white plastron.
9-25-22 Green hatchling crawling.
9-25-22 Green hatchling makes its way to the ocean.
9-25-22 The setting sun caused the little green hatchling to appear uplit!
9-25-22 The green, with its misshapen carapace, also had a downcast head and crawled on the tips of its long flippers.
9-25-22 Volunteers stayed around after the inventory for a group photo and to toast the 2022 season!
9-30-22 Volunteer Mark DuPuis took this photo at Prince George just as H. Ian had passed. The frontal dune at this community was totally lost.
10-1-22 Ocean Green also lost dunes and sand fencing took a hit. The grasses remained and will likely regrow.
10-1-22 H. Ian cut a small breach on Hobcaw just south of the wooded area. Historically, there has been a breach here before that connected the ocean with the marsh.
9-30-22 After the devastation of H. Ian, a perfect rainbow appeared reminding us all of how fortunate we were to survive the wrath of the storm. Our hearts and prayers go out to our coastal neighbors in Florida.
Jeff McClary, founder of the S.C.U.T.E. sea turtle protection project.
Jeff McClary
Co-founder and leader of S.C.U.T.E., Jeff McClary, passed away on December 28. For 34 years Jeff devoted countless hours rescuing and protecting sea turtles. His leadership and friendship will be greatly missed. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the south end of Pawleys Island. All are welcome.