2021 Turtle Season
Bill and Lee install new mile markers on Hobcaw Beach. Many were lost or misplaced after H. Isaias.
5-19-21 Kathi A. found this first loopy crawl on Hobcaw Beach south of #11mm.
5-19-21 Probing the sand, Kathi located the soft area of the egg chamber.
5-19-21 The nest is just above the spring tide line so Kathi was able to leave it natural.
5-21-21 Lourdes made a smart decision to relocate this nest laid on the flat beach below the spring tide line.
5-21-21 DEB01 is now in a safer location especially with King tides coming Sunday and Monday!
5-22-21 This turtle was very determined to get her nest out of harm’s way and crawled high on the dune in Ocean Green.
5-22-21 Duane said turtles can’t read!
5-22-21 There wasn’t a big body pit but Duane found the egg chamber.
5-22-21 This egg will be used to sample the turtle’s DNA which will give us information about where the turtle lays, how often she lays and if she has any daughters/granddaughters.
5-23-21 This turtle climbed the scarped beach and attempted to nest.
5-23-21 Carolyn and then Kathi A. probed the 2 disturbances the turtle made but found no chamber....a false crawl.
5-23-21 The sun rises on Hobcaw Beach.
5-24-21 This turtle was observed nesting from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. between WW#3 and #4.
5-24-21 The moon provided great light for observing and taking photos without a flash.
5-25-21 This turtle did an elaborate job of covering her nest to disguise it from predators…and volunteers! Kathy begins to probe the crawl.
A volunteer probes the sand of a turtle crawl looking for the soft sand of the chamber.
5-25-21 Pat got some good probing experience.
5-25-21 The nest had to be relocated to safer habitat. 142 eggs were carefully removed from the original nest to the new one.
5-25-21 A tired Kathy and Pat pause for the finished and protected nest photo…job well done ladies!
5-27-21 This turtle made 2 disturbances but no eggs were located. She could have a right rea flipper issue that prevents her from digging a deep enough chamber. We hope she tries again tonight!
5-27-21 Beach walkers have observed mass strandings of Grey Sea Stars along the shore especially at low tide.
5-28-21 Lourdes had this crawl south of #11mm and located eggs making it DEB03!
5-28-21 Bob B. found this crawl in Ocean Green and knew it had to relocated since it was below the spring tide.
5-28-21 Bob found a good homesite for HOB03 just south of Ocean Green.
5-28-21 Bill located HOB04 in a long area of disturbance. Unfortunately, the sun was too high and hot to relocate the nest out of Ocean Green. It will be moved in 2 weeks.
5-28-21 Pick up a copy of this week’s Coastal Observer which features its’ Beaches section. They re-ran the incredible story of how Kathi A. aided a 3 flippered turtle named Gimpy lay her eggs.
The home page of www.seaturtle.org has a sad photo of a green sea turtle in a market in Uruguay. These less developed, poor countries depend on turtles for food.
5-29-21 Wendy found this textbook crawl near #12mm on Hobcaw.
5-29-21 Eggs were located and Wendy decided the nest was above the spring tide line and in a good spot...HOB05!
5-30-21 This turtle changed her mind when she saw the steps of WW#7.
5-30-21 Duane found no eggs in this crawl and ran into lots of roots while trying. A coyote or dog showed interest.
5-30-21 Those who love and respect the beauty of the Hobcaw Beach are not amused when vacationers do things like this.
5-30-21 When tides are very low, this tractor near #18mm is exposed. It used to be behind the dunes which shows how much the beach has eroded.
5-30-21 Chain link fencing from a project 40+ years ago shows up when the tides are very low. The south end of Hobcaw has seen severe erosion over the years.
5-31-21 This was a beautiful crawl that went way up on the beach....a smart turtle! The incoming track is much shorter indicating the female spent some time on the beach.
5-31-21 Walter was happy to see that this turtle crawled high enough up on the beach that her nest would not need relocation.
5-31-21 While working on the crawl, Walter educated a group of curious vacationers. SCUTE is all about spreading turtle knowledge!
6-2-21 This crawl had the classic signs of being a nest but Pat knew it would not survive this low on the beach. She relocated it to the base of the dunes.
6-2-21 While Pat was working on relocating DEB05, a turtle crawled up on the beach at Prince George around 8:00 a.m. It thought better of nesting during the day and crawled back in the ocean.
6-2-21 Kathi A. found this ideal nest north #10mm on Hobcaw that was laid at the base of the dunes and could remain natural.
6-2-21 HOB06 is in a safe location and protected...thanks Kathi A.!
6-2-21 Please be aware that we share the beach with nesting and migrating shorebirds!
6-2-21 Please leash your dogs when walking Hobcaw Beach and help protect our shorebird population!
6-3-21 Pat did a good job of spotting these tracks south of WW#5 among so many footprints.
6-3-21 Pat used a wooden probe to locate the soft sand of the chamber but had to switch to a sturdier metal one.
6-3-21 This young lady wants to be a sea turtle veterinarian one day and makes regular trips to the SC Aquarium's Sea Turtle Care Center! Conveniently, she lives in Mt. Pleasant.
6-3-21 Thanks to this family, we learned the nest was a day old. It was in a perfect location and left natural for incubation (about 55-60 days).
6-5-21 Judie found a very tight body pit of a very tidy turtle.
6-5-21 Probing and digging, Judie eventually found the egg chamber of DEB08!
6-5-21 This smart turtle crawled up to the slant of the dune south of WW#6.
6-5-21 Volunteers love these textbook nests that have predictable egg chamber locations. Jackie did a good job on DEB07.
6-5-21 The sun peeks over the backside of Hobcaw Beach. Martha took this photo on the far reaches of her morning survey.
6-6-21 Judy K. was excited to spot this crawl in front of North Beach Villas this morning and made it DEB09!
6-6-21 This turtle nestled her eggs up close to the dune below some grasses north #7mm. Brandie probed, found the chamber and made it HOB07!
6-9-21 A loggerhead emerged from the ocean while the Wednesday volunteers were surveying around the inlet. She must have realized it was to bright to be on the beach and retreated!
6-9-21 This turtle crawled high enough on the beach on Ocean Park to get her nest out of harm's way.
6-9-21 The body pit had the classic signs of being a nest with thrown, dark, mounded sand and a tight pivot area. Pat St. drew off her area of concentration to probe.
6-9-21 After successfully locating the chamber of DEB10, Pat St. protects the nest under the watchful eye of her instructor, Pat O.
6-9-21 The DEB10 team of Pat O., Anita and Pat St. celebrate with a group photo!
6-10-21 Maribeth and Donna St. had a thrill when they spotted a turtle nesting in the daylight! This makes for ideal photos, videos and learning how turtles lay their nests.
6-10-21 DEB12 finished covering her nest and was ready to head back to the cool ocean.
6-10-21 Refreshed by Maribeth's bucket bath, DEB12 heads home after nesting for 1.5 hours in the hot sun
6-10-21 Pat St. found these tracks south WW#5. The longer outgoing track is a good clue the turtle spent some time on the beach.
6-10-21 Pat analyzed the crawl and tried to determine the turtle's path and where the egg chamber might be.
6-10-21 The turtle had a tight body pit with thrown sand. Pat, working toward certification, put a reed where she imagined the eggs to be. She was only off by a few inches...DEB11!
6-10-21 This turtle came up at low tide, bumped along the dune line and then returned without nesting. The barnacle scrape on the right side of her incoming crawl looks similar to the one in DEB11 that laid today in the Middle. It was laid when the tide was coming in.
6-11-21 This turtle crawled up high and laid a very concise nest.
6-11-21 DEB13 was a "tidy turtle' which made it easier for Lourdes to locate her chamber.
6-11-21 Pat St. carefully took 123 eggs out of the original location of HOB04 in Ocean Green. She then dug a new chamber and carefully put the eggs in. The nest is now in better habitat for development just south #0mm on Hobcaw Beach.
6-11-21 Bob B. and Pat St. are happy to have HOB04 protected and in a better location.
6-12-21 The difference in length of incoming vs. outgoing told Martha this turtle spent some time on the beach.
6-12-21 The body pit had all the characteristics of a nest and Martha located the egg chamber...DEB14!
6-12-21 Volunteers always enjoy probing and locating the egg chamber of a turtle nest. Martha was happy to have her first nest of the season!
6-12-21 Wendy, walking Hobcaw, found this beautiful crawl. She located the egg chamber just below the grasses in ideal habitat for incubation.
6-12-21 HOB08 will incubate for about 55-60 days. Volunteers keep a close watch on each nest for any kind of predation...ghost crabs, ants, coyotes, etc.
6-12-21 Pat Stavola has earned her SC Department of Natural Resources certification. We are proud of you Pat!
6-14-21 This mother loggerhead picked a perfect location for her nest.
6-14-21 Buffie was happy to have her first nest of the season, easily locating the egg chamber in the soft sand...DEB15!
6-14-21 We are so proud of Steven for locating HOB09 the day after it was laid, had been rained on and was windblown! He studied the original photos and it paid off:)
6-14-21 Steven captured this beautiful Monday morning calm sunrise after a rough day Sunday.
6-15-21 The crawl difference told Martha and Debbie that this turtle spent some time on the beach. The body pit and thrown sand were other clues.
6-15-21 Debbie, working toward certification, located the egg chamber and protected the HOB10!
6-15-21 This crawl also had high nest potential. While Martha and Debbie took care of HOB10, Carolyn and team went to probe this crawl.
6-15-21 Carolyn decided to relocate this nest because it was low and right at the wrack line. When nests get washed over too often, it suffocates the eggs.
6-15-21 HOB11 was a small nest and had some strange eggs. Some were elongated and some ran on a string and are called spacer eggs.
6-15-21 Anita, Debbie and Marie look on as Carolyn relocates only 62 eggs into a nest with better incubating habitat.
-15-21 The HOB11 relocation team was tired but knew they had given the nest a better chance to develop and have healthy hatchlings!
6-16-21 Donna found a crawl with a potential nest up on a good slant in the Middle section.
6-16-21 DEB16 is a natural nest just south WW#3...way to go Donnal!
6-16-21 Kathi A. found a crawl south #7 on Hobcaw that went up in the grasses. The outgoing crawl was a long, meandering one at low tide.
6-16-21 HOB12 is located up high enough but is in some grasses. Good job finding the egg chamber Kathi A.!
6-17-21 Lourdes found a crawl in front of North Beach Villas where the turtle came in as the tide was going out.
6-17-21 This is a classic body pit with the swirl of the turtle pivoting after nesting. She goes to great effort to disguise her nest throwing sand over it with all 4 flippers and inching forward. When she feels it is sufficiently covered, she turns and makes her exit.
6-17-21 Probing with her cue and locating the soft sand, Lourdes then dug down with her hand and found the egg chamber. She said this one was deep!
6-17-21 Buffie and Mark found thousands of live sea stars at low tide last night in the intertidal zone.
6-18-21 This was one of 2 crawls Bob B., Lori and Michael found on their sunrise Hobcaw walk.
6-18-21 It was a team effort with Bob instructing and Lori & Michael learning how to probe and locate the chamber. Bob eventually found the soft sand and let Lori dig down to touch her first turtle egg!
6-18-21 This was a very tidy turtle that made a beeline to the low dune, nested and made a beeline back to the ocean.
6-18-21 Determined Lori found the soft sand of the chamber on her 10th probe!
6-18-21 Bob was proud of his 2 students and they had a great learning experience with their first couple of nests!
6-19-21 Buffie found this loopy crawl north #15mm on Prince George Beach. It was like a puzzle to figure out the turtle's path.
6-19-21 Buffie zeroed in on the body pit as the most likely area that the turtle nested...and she was correct!
6-19-21 Debbie who is working toward certification had the chance to assist in 2 nest relocations this morning. Mark and Buffie, her instructors, were impressed with her ability:)
6-19-21 With Mark instructing, Debbie relocated DEB08 laid on 6/5. After 2 weeks it can be carefully moved to the slant of the dune for healthier incubation.
6-19-21 Many of the eggs were discolored likely to moisture from wash overs by the ocean. It is good the nest was relocated.
6-19-21 Volunteer Pat explains the turtle's life cycle to this Hobcaw Barony children's group.
6-19-21 The group enjoyed Kathi's story of Gimpy, the 3 flippered turtle. She actually assisted Gimpy in digging her egg chamber!
6-19-21 The turtle's tracks from a nest laid yesterday were still visible. Wendy & Pat show how to read the incoming/outgoing tracks.
6-19-21 The group gathered to document their time on Hobcaw Beach learning about loggerheads.
6-20-21 This morning's rain blurred this crawl in front of the Beach Club.
6-20-21 The body pit, obscured by the rain, still showed the signs of being a nest. Judy probed and located the egg chamber.
6-20-21 Judy protected DEB19 and later surrounded it with pink surveyors tape. It was laid in a high traffic area.
6-21-21 Last night's heavy rain made the tracks of DEB21 blurry. Buffie, Jean and Mark noticed this classic crawl on their return walk. It was just south #11mm on the North end.
6-21-21 Jean, working toward SCDNR certification, got her first experience probing a turtle nest. Buffie and Mark said she located the soft sand, digging down to find eggs!
6-21-21 DEB20 had to be relocated because it was laid below the spring tide line. It is also in a low area prone to tidal flooding.
6-21-21 Jean was excited to locate and then relocate and protect her first turtle nest, DEB21...go Jean!
6-21-21 Walter found this crawl just north WW#7 in an area prone to wash overs. He had to relocate it north to WW#6.
6-21-21 Walter's probe marks the location of the egg chamber of DEB20.
6-21-21 This large loggerhead was observed returning after nesting on Prince George Beach around 10:00 p.m.
6-21-22 It was a beautiful nest but volunteers Buffie and Mark knew it would need relocation to higher ground for safe incubation.
6-22-21 After Beth located the egg chamber, Marie helped transfer the eggs from the original nest to the new one.
6-22-21 With their mission accomplished, Beth and Marie celebrate with a selfie:)
6-22-21 The Ocean Green area is prone to tidal flooding so all nests much be relocated south. Robin found this south of WW#12.
6-22-21 Working together, Robin and Judy relocated HOB15 to south #0mm.
6-22-21 Robin was glad to have Judy's help as the retrieved 105 eggs from HOB15 and carried them south.
6-23-21 DEB09 was one of many nest that had a wash over during last night's King tide.
6-24-21 DEB13 was laid above the spring tide line but the new King tide line is well beyond.
6-23-21 DEB02 in the Middle section suffered being washed over last night. There was a river that formed in front of it...not good.
6-24-21 This was one determined turtle to scale this high dune in Ocean Green!
6-24-21 Steven easily located the egg chamber of HOB16 and left it natural. We will keep a watchful eye on this one since this is an artificial dune and can be swept away in a storm/hurricane.
6-25-21 This turtle knew to crawl up on the dune so the eggs would be high and dry for the best incubation.
6-25-21 This body pit had the broken vegetation which tells the volunteers that the turtle dug and likely deposited her eggs.
6-25-21 Donna (center) was happy to locate the egg chamber of DEB23 and protect the nest with Maribeth and Bob assisting.
6-25-21 Lori and Michael, also working toward certification, learned another aspect of being a turtle volunteer is nest maintenance. The King tide dumped up to 6 inches of additional sand onto nests.
6-25-21 This nest had 4-6 inches of sand which would slow down incubation. Duane, Lori and Michael worked together to clear it.
6-25-21 HOB13 after maintenance.
6-25-21 Lori worked solo to clear off HOB14 of 4 inches of accumulated sand.
6-25-21 Lori showed "the boys" she was up to the task and did a good job on HOB14!
6-25-21 A young exhausted loggerhead mother heads back to the ocean after laying her nest at Prince George. Buffie and Mark were fortunate to watch the entire process.
6-25-21 The turtle left this tidy body pit seen under the light of the full moon.
6-26-21 This morning, Buffie probed the nest laid in front of her house (below the spring tide line) and located the egg chamber. She and Mark relocated the clutch of DEB24 directly back to the slant of the dune for safer incubation.
6-26-21 This was one of 2 crawls in the Middle section. Lori and Michael, working toward certification, got some good experience working with Betsy and learning the nest locating process.
6-26-21 This was a very efficient turtle and didn't expend more energy than she had to, to lay her nest...a tidy turtle.
6-26-21 Lori looks on as Michael locates his first turtle nest, DEB25 in front of Pioneer Place Villas!
6-26-21 As the rain began to fall, Michael stops for a photo documenting his first turtle nest...congratulations!
6-26-21 Kathi A. and Bill had no luck finding eggs in this crawl at WW#5. It could be the same turtle as DEB25 just to the north.
6-26-21 Wendy tried to locate the egg chamber of this crawl but, after trying for a while, called it a false crawl.
6-27-21 HOB17 crawled over HOB11 in her effort to nest.
6-27-21 The turtle actually lifted the screen of HOB11 while digging her chamber.
6-27-21 Brandie successfully located the chamber of HOB17 and was grateful it was 2-3 ft. south of HOB11!
6-28-21 Buffie & Mark surrounded DEB19 with a wider border to protect it better from the many people that will be on the beach in the Beach Club area.
6-28-21 A second turtle made the arduous climb up the dune in Ocean Green. Her choice of places to lay her eggs was not a good one:(
6-28-21 Steven was worried this nest, laid in the middle of the pathway, would get stepped on before he could return to relocate it. Bill temporarily staked it off.
6-28-21 After spending time probing a crawl south #2mm and finding no eggs, Steven easily located the egg chamber of HOB18 north #1mm on Hobcaw.
6-28-21 Steven was busy working on crawls to the south so Bill and Betsy went to help find and relocate HOB19. They moved it to the growing "nursery" area just south #0mm on Hobcaw.
6-29-20 It is such a pleasure to follow a crawl that goes above the tide line and has a concise body pit. Beth and Pat St. found this one in front of N. Beach Villas.
6-29-21 Both volunteers probed the area but Beth located the egg chamber of DEB26!
6-29-21 Wendy had this crawl south #2mm on Hobcaw that went up in the tall grasses. She knew it would be interesting to probe.
6-29-21 This turtle was determined to get her nest out of harm's way.
6-29-21 Wendy did a great job locating the egg chamber of HOB20 among all the grasses and roots.
6-29-21 This fox seems to have a rat in it's mouth. The species is great for controlling rats which are so prevalent in the planted grasses in the medians and on the golf course. People should not be attempting to control the fox population.
7-2-21 Pat and John found this crawl just north WW#6.
7-2-21 The turtle came in on the north side, dug her chamber, covered it and made a pivot and went back in the ocean. The process can take about 1.5 hours. John probed and located the egg chamber, leaving the nest natural.
7-2-21 Happy the dry spell of no nests is over, Pat and John paused to document their find, DEB27!
7-3-21 Jackie found a crawl in the Middle right at WW#3.
7-3-21 DEB28 could remain natural since it was above the spring tide line. Way to go Jackie!
7-3-21 Wendy's activity on Hobcaw was a crawl where the turtle bumped along the dune but found a spot to climb up and lay her eggs.
7-3-21 HOB21 is in a good spot for incubation, a clearing on a low dune...nice job Wendy:)
7-4-21 A turtle waited until just before daylight to crawl up and lay a tidy nest south WW#2.
7-4-21 The tight body pit allowed Carolyn to locate the egg chamber quickly.
7-4-21 Carolyn had the honors of finding DeBordieu & Hobcaw's 50th nest!
7-4-21 Brandie found this crawl in Ocean Green where it appeared the turtle nested in the scarp of the pushed up dune. Nests laid in this area must be relocated south of #0mm.
7-4-21 With friend Ashley counting, Brandie relocated 106 eggs to safer habitat south of #0mm.
7-5-21 Jean, working on her DNR certification, practices her probing skills on a crawl north #8mm.
7-5-21 Success! Jean located the egg chamber of DEB30 and brought out one egg for DNA.
7-5-21 Steven found a crawl in Ocean Green that needed to be relocated to the growing "nursery" south #0mm.
7-6-21 This crawl, north #14 on Hobcaw sure looked like a nest to Martha and Debbie.
7-6-21 Instructing, Martha had Debbie place a reed where she thought the egg chamber would likely be. Debbie was right on it!
7-6-21 Debbie brought out one egg which will be used for DNA.
7-6-21 Later Gator, a children's book written by volunteer, Anita Turnage is set here at DeBordieu! A portion of the proceeds will go to DeBordieu & Hobcaw SCUTE.
7-7-21 Pat, Lori and Michael checked nests for predators like ants and crabs.
7-7-21 Donna found this crawl just north WW#7 in an area where we cannot leave nests.
7-7-21 Working alone, Donna moved this large nest of 147 eggs to north WW#6. This location gives the nest a much better chance of success.
7-7-21 Kathi A. sent this dramatic sunrise photo from Hobcaw. What will TS Elsa bring to our coast?
7-8-21 Bill noticed broken roots that had been exposed after the sand blew off the nest. This clue lead him to find the egg chamber.
7-8-21 As TS Elsa was still blowing hard, Pat did had a good eye to notice this windblown body pit and possibly faint turtle tracks just south WW#3. She could not locate and egg chamber but is determined to do so when she returns Friday morning!
7-8-21 Feeling sandblasted, Bob B. snapped this photo from Hobcaw as he searched for any faint evidence of turtle nesting activity.
7-9-21 This experienced turtle went crawled above the spring tide line to lay her nest.
7-9-21 Bob B. found this classic body pit, probed and located the egg chamber of HOB25.
7-9-21 Bob B. easily located the chamber of HOB26 and protected it with a screen.
7-11-21 This crawl north WW#4 had dark thrown sand indicating digging by the turtle.
7-11-21 Anita probed and located the egg chamber of her first official turtle nest...DEB33!
7-11-21 This crawl also appeared to be a nest just north of WW#4. Carolyn probed and found the egg chamber of DEB34!
7-11-21 Because supplies are running low, Carolyn used this triangle marking system for DEB34. Congratulations on your nest and training today!
7-13-21 Kathy C. found this tidy body pit north of WW#5 with the difference in crawl lengths indicating the turtle was on the beach a while.
7-13-21 DEB35 was located and left natural. We are running low on screens so Kathy marked the nest with the triangle system.
7-14-21 Walking the North, Martha and Jean found this crawl loop where the turtle mounded sand in the top area possibly indicating a nest.
7-14-21 Jean, working toward SCDNR certification, practices her probing technique and finding soft sand, located the egg chamber!
7-14-21 Jean successfully completed the relocation of DEB36!
7-14-21 Under Martha's watchful eye, Jean carefully transfers the eggs to the bucket for relocation to better habitat.
7-14-21 Kathi A. found the crawl of this indecisive turtle north #7mm on Hobcaw.
7-14-21 The turtle finally found a suitable location to lay her clutch of eggs which Kathi located in lots of soft sand (HOB27).
7-14-21 This turtle made a loopy U turn and decided against this inlet location...good move!
7-15-21 The sharp incline and sand quality may have been the reason this turtle decided not to nest in Ocean Green….false crawl.
7-15-21 This is what turtle volunteers like to see, a big difference in crawl lengths. This indicates the turtle spent some time on the beach and likely nested!
7-15-21 Duane wasted no time probing the body pit area and located the egg chamber on his 10th probe…HOB28!
7-15-21 Volunteers collect one egg from each nest which reveals the DNA of the female turtle. We know from the results that this turtle nests every 2 years and is very loyal to the our area.
7-15-21 On the other hand, this DNA of this turtle shows she prefers the NC beaches but slipped down to DeBordieu to lay her first nest of 2021. She nests, on average, every 3 years.
7-16-21 Donna St. and her dad, Bob, examine a crawl near #15mm at Prince George. It was laid low on the beach in a flat area prone to over washes.
7-16-21 Donna is working toward SCDNR certification and located the egg chamber with Maribeth as her instructor.
7-16-21 Pat and John found this body pit close to DEB25 and probing, John located a soft area and Pat dug down to confirm it as DEB38! They were able to leave it natural.
7-16-21 Bob B. and Pat St. teamed up and got an early start this morning. It was a good thing because this nest in Ocean Green had to be relocated south of #0mm to the growing nursery area.
7-17-21 Martha, walking the North, found this crawl with nest potential south #9mm. Notice the barnacle mark in her crawl.
7-17-21 DEB39 was relocated to better habitat. Good job Martha!
7-17-21 There have been several crawls in Ocean Green where the turtle scaled the tall pushed up dune and nested on top.
7-17-21 HOB31 is on high ground for incubation of the eggs beneath.
7-17-21 HOB30 was laid at the base of the dunes south #7mm on Hobcaw.
Wendy located the egg chamber of HOB30, left it natural and protected it with a screen.
7-17-21 We are calling the stretch just south of Ocean Green The Nursery! We have had to relocate all these nests from the base of the dunes in Ocean Green to this location for safer incubation.
7-18-21 A turtle crawled up and made a turn in the dune to exit without nesting. Carolyn and Marie probed multiple times but found no eggs.
7-18-21 This Hobcaw turtle did donuts in the sand and finally decided to lay her nest. Brandie located the chamber of HOB32 easily.
7-18-21 Brandie credits her new metal probe with the ease at which she located the chamber. We know her years of experience came into play also!
7-18-21 HOB33 had a long meandering crawl with a body pit in the dunes. Brandie located the egg chamber and said it was very shallow. This could indicate a large clutch number!
7-18-21 Brandie and husband, Ryan, document HOB33 with a selfie:) Good job today with 2 nests!
7-19-21 The body pit of this crawl north WW#3 that if a nest, was in a good location to leave it natural.
7-19-21 Walter located the egg chamber and did some turtle education with a small group of interested vacationers.
7-19-21 Because we have run out of screens, Walter used our triangle system to mark DEB40.
7-19-21 Steven found this crawl in Ocean Green that looked normal until he located the egg chamber.
7-19-21 There were only a total of 6 eggs in the chamber of HOB34 and they were all broken...so strange. It may have been the turtle's last nest of the season and the only eggs she had??
7-20-21 This turtle climbed the low scarped dune north #19mm and made a long body pit.
7-20-21 Probing, while instructor Martha looked on, Debbie located the egg chamber and began the relocation process. If this nest was left natural, it would surely be washed away.
7-20-21 Debbie successfully relocated the nest of HOB34 with her sister Amy observing.
7-20-21 HOB34 is now in much better habitat for incubation just north #15mm. Debbie and Amy had a neat sister experience this morning!
7-21-21 DEB41 was laid in the middle of the beach at Prince George. The ghost crab knew right where the eggs were and devoured several before Pat and Jean could find and relocate the nest.
7-21-21 Under Pat's supervision, Jean carefully transfers the eggs from the nest to the bucket for relocation.
7-21-21 Jean, working on her SCDNR certification, did the whole nest procedure today. Pat said she did a good job!
7-21-21 Duane found this body pit nestled up the base of the dunes north #6mm on Hobcaw.
7-21-21 Probing, Duane turned this crawl into HOB35. This makes 76 nests for DEB/HOB and our 3rd best season!
7-21-21 Michael found this large hole in front of N. Beach Villas last night. With some help from the Burgess family, he filled it in to prevent an accident.
7-26-21 Mark found this crawl and potential nest south #6mm in Ocean Park.
7-26-21 The body pit area shows interest by predators with lots of prints all over. Maybe it is the family of foxes we have all been seeing on the beach?
7-26-21 Probing the body pit, Buffie easily located the egg chamber making this nest DEB42!
7-26-21 Walter found that DEB02 between WW#3 & WW#4 had a major hatch with animal prints all around! We will inventory this nest Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
7-28-21 Pat and Jean found this perfect crawl/body pit on the south end of Prince George. Jean, working toward certification, located the chamber of DEB44 within 5 minutes!
7-28-21 DEB45 was laid low on the beach and in a flat area. Jean located the egg chamber and together, she and Pat moved the eggs back to the slant of the dune.
7-28-21 Depredation by foxes and coyotes of sea turtle nests is so unfortunate and upsetting to volunteers. Last night, a coyote pulled out a large number of eggs out of DEB02 by tunneling into the chamber of DEB02. We will inventory the remaining contents Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
7-28-21 As volunteers we want to know what predator is breaking into these nests. Donna's photo shows a coyote was guilty of depredating DEB02 between WW#3 and #4.
7-28-21 With the outgoing track much longer than the incoming, Donna had a good feeling this was a nest just north WW#6! The difference in crawls indicates the turtle spent about 1.5 - 2 hours on the beach.
7-28-21 The body pit area with fluffy sand covering the tracks was another indicator that this was a nest.
7-28-21 Donna located the egg chamber of DEB43 and left it natural.
7-28-21 "Anastasia Loggerhead" wore her costume long enough to pose with the volunteers. Here she shows her plastron (belly) side.
7-28-21 A. Loggerhead's shell is called the carapace!
7-28-21 The inventory team for HOB02 was Duane, Pat O. and Wendy.
7-28-21 One hatchling that didn't make it out of the nest on it's own was put in a bucket for release. Martha showed excited spectators the 2 in. hatchling.
7-28-21 It is important for sea turtles to crawl on the beach and "imprint" the location of their "home" beach. 30 years later, some female turtles come back to nest in the area where they hatched. Through DNA we have learned some are site specific and some travel great distances between nests.
7-28-21 The crowd wishes the little hatchling safe travels as it heads off for the Gulf Stream, 60 miles offshore. Here, it will find the mats of sargassum weed that offer it a place to hide, rest and feed as they ride the current of the "great blue highway".
7-29-21 This turtle laid her nest at the foot of WW#4.
7-29-21 Pat St. probed the body pit and located the egg chamber. She taped off the nest, making a path for those coming onto the beach at WW#4.
7-29-21 A turtle made a big scarp in the pushed dune in Ocean Green but could not form a chamber in the uncompacted sand...a false crawl.
7-29-21 Kathi A. found this classic crawl and body pit south #10mm. She probed the likely area and located the egg chamber of HOB36!
7-29-21 No live hatchlings remained in DEB02 at inventory. We believe 120 made it out of the large nest before the coyote dug into it.
8-1-21 Faint hatchling tracks can be seen among all the footprints. This lets the volunteers know turtles have exited the nest. There is a 3 night wait to allow all hatchlings that are able to climb out of the nest and make their way to the ocean.
8-3-21 This turtle crawled up to the base of the dune which is an ideal location for healthy incubation!
8-3-21 Debbie, working toward SCDNR certification, found this nest a bit of a challenge due to all the piled up sand. That didn't stop her from locating the egg chamber of HOB37.
8-4-21 Volunteers Michael and Pat try to estimate the number of tracks out of a recently hatched nest. They counted about 60...an excellent hatch! The light-sensitive hatchlings are attracted to the glow of Garden City and Myrtle Beach. These turtles eventually made it to the ocean but that's why we say:
"LIGHTS OUT FOR LOGGERHEADS!"
8-4-21 As volunteers dig out the nest contents of DEB04, Walter speaks to the crowd about loggerhead sea turtles.
8-4-21 Everyone comes hoping to see a hatchling left in the nest that has not made it out on it's own. This only happens on occasion and tonight, unfortunately, was not one of those:(
8-4-21 Volunteers put the nest contents in groups of 10 according to the kind,,,shells, unhatched eggs and any dead turtles found. The results of DEB04 were 57% with no reason other than May temperatures are more variable and can effect incubation. June nests will show better results:)
8-6-21 Kids for Lights Out for Loggerheads!
8-6-21 Duane educates the large crowd about our SC state reptile, the loggerhead sea turtle.
8-6-21 Lourdes dug out the nest chamber of DEB06 but could not find any live hatchlings that had not made it out on their own. Jackie and Anita counted eggshells and unhatched eggs. The nest had a hatch success of 74%.
8-7-21 Volunteer Bob F. escorts one of 2 hatchlings released at the inventory of DEB09 in Ocean Park. Everyone was excited to FINALLY see a live turtle!
8-7-21 The DEB09 inventory team counted a total of 163 eggs out of this larger than usual nest. The hatch success was an impressive 94%!
8-7-21 Anastasia loves to wear her loggerhead costume to inventories! These children were proud to have their photo taken with the SC state reptile:)
8-8-21 This turtle crawled back over her incoming tracks flattening out her piled up sand from the covering process.
8-8-21 This body pit is about the tidiest, most concise we have seen!
8-8-21 Thanks to this group of friends who assisted Pat in counting eggs, helped protect the nest and asked lots of good questions about loggerheads!
8-10-21 Robin was surprised to find a crawl this morning on Hobcaw. We thought nesting was about over!
8-10-21 This turtle did a good job of laying her nest snug to the dune on Hobcaw.
8-10-21 HOB38 was left natural to incubate on Hobcaw Beach...likely to be an October hatch.
8-1-21 Volunteer Duane speaks about loggerheads to the small group gathered to watch the inventory of DEB10 in Ocean Park.
8-10-21 One live hatchling was found in the egg chamber that had not made it out on it's own. Volunteers let it crawl on the beach and "imprint" the GPS of our beach. If it's a female she may come back here to nest at maturity which is 25-30 years.
8-12-21 This morning Pat St. found 45+ tracks out of DEB16 between Walkways #3 and #4 ending at the high tide line. Thankfully, the fox/coyote was there after the hatch!
8-12-21 As Bill tells the crowd about our loggerhead nesting season, Bob F. digs out the contents of DEB11. Debbie and Donna count the eggs, deciding if they hatched or did not develop. There were no live hatchlings recovered tonight....maybe Sunday's inventory will have some!
8-14-21 4 of 24 hatchlings found in a nest inventory on the North this morning make their way to the ocean!
8-15-21 The crowd at the inventory of DEB16 gathered to hear Kathi speak about loggerheads and to hopefully see a hatchling or two.
8-15-21 Volunteers began the inventory process, digging out the contents and counting hatched/unhatched eggs.
8-15-21 Children seemed to enjoy Kathi's enthusiasm as she told what they could do to help loggerheads.
8-15-21 A hatchling with the condition called leucism was found in the nest chamber that had not emerged on its own. Apparently, this reduced pigmentation of the turtle is rare. One was also found at a nest inventory on Kiawah Island.
8-15-21 The group watched as the turtle instinctlively crawled to the ocean. The chances of survival are slim because it doesn't have the natural camouflage of normal loggerheads, making it more susceptible to predators.
8-16-21 Just when we thought nesting was over, Martha found this crawl just south of Ocean Green on Hobcaw in an area we call "the nursery".
8-16-21 This turtle laid her nest in a perfect spot for incubation going into the fall when days are shorter and nights are cooler. Volunteers can keep a close watch on this one. This nest will likely hatch near the end of October.
8-16-21 Martha located the egg chamber of HOB39, protected it and documented what may be the last nest of the season!
8-18-21 HOB15 had 16 hatchlings in the chamber at the inventory all eager to get out of the bucket, onto the beach and into the ocean!
10-23-21 A SCUTE Loop group prepares to hit the route!
10-23-21 A loggerhead sea turtle even participated in the SCUTE Loop!
10-23-21 Catherine (and Georgie) from the SC Aquarium made the trip to educate participants about the work of the Aquarium and Sea Turtle Care Center. She brought goodies to hand out!
10-23-21 This group did their 'Loop" on Tuesday and seemed to have a lot of fun!
10-23-21 The Burgess family paused at the turtle sign for a SCUTE Loop photo.
Betsy & Bill are ready to post times for the LOOP!
Danny, Marnie and Anne were fast runners and finished quickly!
Debbie was our first to sign up for the SCUTE Loop!
SCUTE volunteers Duane and Pat signed in participants
Sawyer was one of the younger participants and enjoyed meeting Catherine's dog, Georgie
Sawyer, his grandfather Mark and mom Alex finished the race/stroll
This SCUTE Loop group enjoyed the race
John, an avid runner, hits the route!
Paula celebrates as she nears the finish line.
Shannon hits her stride on the 5K!
SCUTE volunteers and "Looper", Tom and Ingrid brought Lulu for the 5K.
SCUTE volunteer, Carolyn, was joined by several family members for today's race.
10-23-21 SCUTE Loopers take hit the course
10-23-21 Walking for the turtles!
10-23-21 With the ringing of a cow bell, Susan starts the runners and walkers on their way!
10-23-21 TURTLESTRONG Cora
2020 Turtle Season
Bill examines the tiny injured green sea turtle.
Hungryneck is now in the care of the Sea Turtle Hospital at the SC Aquarium.
Hungryneck had surgery today to repair the right rear flipper. With time, we pray it heals so the turtle can go 'home"!
An amazing photo of a loggerhead sea turtle!
5-4-20 Sunrise at Prince George Beach
5-19 Beth located the first nest on the North between DeBordieu and Prince George!
5-19 An egg is taken from each nest in SC for a DNA study.
5-20 Kathi A. found 2 crawls in the Hobcaw boneyard likely by the same turtle. This one had more nest potential.
5-20 Kathi A. probed an area and located the egg chamber claiming Hobcaw's first nest of the season!
5-20 Hobcaw nest #1
5-20 Beach chairs, beer bottles, liquor bottles and remnants of a fire were found at Walkway #6 by volunteer, Donna.
5-22 Gimpy's crawl has a distinctive impression on the center/left made by her missing rear flipper.
5-22 Gimpy leaves open chambers because she can only dig so deep because of her missing rear flipper.
5-22 This turtle crawled up and over the dune where he deposited her eggs.
5-22 Kathi A. located the eggs of this nest using only her hands...experience pays off!
5-23 Maribeth and Donna found an impressive crawl just south of #12mm on the North.
5-23 The turtle left a well-disguised body pit indicating a nest.
5-23 Maribeth located the egg chamber and showed Donna how to protect the nest.
5-23 Jackie found thousands of tiny white styrofoam balls between Walkways #2 and #4.
5-23 Gimpy returned to Hobcaw just south of #1mm and left a crawl with 2 open chambers.
5-23 Duane digs in Gimpy's open chambers but finds nothing.
5-24 Brandie and Ryan found this crawl near #3mm on Hobcaw and Ryan located the egg chamber!
5-24 Poor Gimpy tried twice again last night to deposit her eggs but left only multiple open chambers on both.
5-26 Martha took this dramatic sunrise photo on Hobcaw Beach.
5-26 Carolyn sent this photo of the sun coming up from the Middle.
5-26 Beth and Marie were at Prince George when Beth snapped this sunrise photo.
5-27 Pat found this faint, rained-on crawl just to the right of the North Access Rd.
5-27 Thankfully, the mother turtle laid her nest at the top of the low dune, getting her eggs out of harm's way.
5-29 Bob B. had a crawl just north of #14mm on Hobcaw.
5-29 Bob B. located the egg chamber of HOB05...way to go!
5-29 Alligator tracks show the lumbering walk with tail drag up the center of the crawl. They get in the ocean and have difficulty getting back to fresher water.
5-29 Mark and Buffie's dog Cooper demonstrates how deep a hole/trench were just north of the North Access Rd.
5-30 Jackie found this crawl near WW#4 in the Middle. She and Betsy both probed but Bill located the egg chamber.
5-30 Wendy and Duane found this crawl north #11mm on Hobcaw. Duane located the egg chamber and left the nest natural.
5-30-20 Duane located the egg chamber of HOB06 and protected it.
5-30-20 These switch plates, by a local artist, will soon be available at stores in Pawleys Island. Lights out for Loggerheads!
5-31-20 This turtle crawled up on the inlet side of Hobcaw to nest.
5-31-20 Brandie and Ryan take a selfie after Brandie located the egg chamber of HOB07.
5-31-20 A passing boat documented the location of HOB07 on the inlet side of Hobcaw.
6-3 Kathi A. found this crawl north of #14mm and located the egg chamber...HOB08.
This turtle crawled up into the wooded area of Hobcaw.
6-3-20 Kathi A. located the chamber of HOB09 which may be the return of HOB01 that nested 2 weeks ago in the same area.
6-3-20 This informative flyer on sea turtles and the SCUTE program can be found in DeBordieu Rental packets. You can learn how to help sea turtles while on your vacation!
HOB10 was laid low on the beach so Lourdes, with Susan observing, did the probing/relocating process on her own.
6-5-20 Bob B. found this crawl south of #1mm on Hobcaw, located the egg chamber and protected it...go Bob!
6-5-20 Plastic nurdles are a growing problem as they accidentally spill from ships during transport. They are ingested by sea life who mistake them for fish eggs.
6-6-20 Wendy captured the sun rising over a beautiful textbook crawl on Hobcaw.
6-6-20 HOB12 was above the spring tide line so Wendy left it natural.
6-8-20 This determine turtle managed to still lay her nest in front of Pioneer Place Villas even with people around her.
6-8-20 Carolyn eventually located the egg chamber of DEB05.
6-8-20 Mark and Carolyn both worked on DEB05 but Carolyn located the egg chamber. Good teamwork!
6-9-20 Martha found this textbook crawl north of #9mm on Hobcaw.
6-9-20 Martha located the egg chamber of HOB13 and protected it just before a downpour!
6-9-20 This crawl north of #7mm on Hobcaw had potential but maybe the vegetation was too much for the turtle to dig her chamber. Martha could not locate any eggs.
6-9-20 A turtle crawled up on the Pawleys Inlet side of Prince George to lay her nest.
6-9-20 Beth plotted on Google Earth the location of DEB06.
6-9-20 Lourdes earned her SCUTE certification by a lot of hard work and dedication to the DeBordieu & Hobcaw turtles!
6-10-20 Pat located DEB08 between DeBordieu and Prince George.
DEB07 was laid in front of Pioneer Place Villas and located by Donna.
6-10-20 Kathi A. had 2 false crawls made by Gimpy, a 3 flippered turtle that likes Hobcaw. She makes numerous attempts before finally depositing her clutch.
These SCUTE cards have good information about loggerhead sea turtles and the volunteer program to protect them. Pick one up at DeBordieu Rentals!
6-12-20 Judie E. had a perfect crawl in an ideal location and easily found the egg chamber of DEB09.
6-12-20 Bob B. had no trouble locating HOB14 north of #8mm on Hobcaw.
6-12-20 HOB15, south #7mm was one of 2 nests Bob B. had on Hobcaw plus 4 false crawls...busy morning!
6-13-20 Jackie had a false crawl just south of WW#6. The turtle may have come up when there was too much activity on the beach and changed her mind.
6-13-20 Wendy had this U-turn false crawl low on the beach north of #8mm on Hobcaw.
6-14-20 DEB10 was a long crawl just south of #13mm. Marie located the egg chamber in an ideal spot at the base of the dunes.
6-14-20 Marie, working toward certification, located DEB10 and protected it.
6-14-20 Jane had a total of 3 crawls in the Middle which turned out to be a relocated nest and 2 false crawls...big morning!
6-14-20 Brandie and Ryan had 3 crawls around #1mm on Hobcaw, likely by the same turtle. One turned out to be a nest...HOB16!
6-14-20 Brandie located and protected HOB16.
6-15-20 Carolyn found this crawl north of #12mm and was able to locate the egg chamber.
6-15-20 These white styrofoam pellets are becoming regular visitors to our beaches. Another pellet called nurdles are hard plastic, toxic and need to be reported with GPS if found.
6-19-20 DEB12, located by Judie E. was laid north of #15mm at Prince George.
6-19-20 DEB13 was laid just above the low sea wall south of WW#8 and had to be relocated by Betsy. Helpers Harrison and Jessica carried the bucket of 134 eggs to the new home site north of WW#6...thanks!
6-19-20 Bob B. had 2 crawls on Hobcaw before #1mm. HOB18, north of #1mm, was an easy find.
6-19-20HOB19 proved to be a difficult nest to locate but Bob B. stuck with it and found the egg chamber!
6-2-20 Jackie found this crawl south of WW#7. Vacationers saw the turtle around 11:00 p.m. last night. She was still on the beach at 12:00-12:30. No eggs have been located YET!
6-20-20 This turtle may have nested on her way out but volunteers had difficulty finding a chamber and called it a false crawl.
6-20-20 This was a nest that Wendy located north of #3mm on Hobcaw Beach. It was in a good location.
6-21-20 Bob B. had 2 false crawls and this nest on Hobcaw south #7mm.
6-21-20 Conner, Mike and Bill examine the carapace of the stranded loggerhead on North Island. She slowly made her way back into the ocean thanks to some helpful humans!
6-21-20 Thanks to Mike and Conner who helped drag this 300+ lb. loggerhead about 50 yds. to the slant of the beach.
6-21-20 It was fate that Betsy and Bill did their North Island survey a day early. This turtle would not have made it until Monday being stranded 250 yds. from the ocean.
6-22-20 Mark was happy to have his first nest of the season. The egg he retrieved from the nest will be used to determine the DNA of this turtle. From that we will know where she nests, how often and if she has daughters and granddaughters. Fascinating!
6-24-20 HOB22 was laid north #10mm. Duane probed and located the egg chamber.
6-24-20 Duane hammers in the sign and protects the nest of HOB22.
6-24-20 HOB23 was located south #8mm and Duane wasted no time finding the egg chamber.
6-24-20 Duane happily shows the egg from HOB23 that will be used for DNA.
6-25-20 This turtle was a wanderer at Prince George and covered a lot of beach looking for a nesting spot. She overlooked some ideal locations!
6-25-20 This crawl, just north of the Beach Villas, was a U turn with tracks going all the way to the low tide line...she just left!
6-25-20 In theory, this was the turtle's second aborted attempt in front of the Beach Club. It was a U turn with no interruption of tracks.
6-25-20 Jessica from WY noticed a body pit in a "false crawl" and contacted Betsy. Eggs were found and we are thankful for Jessica's curiosity!
6-25-20 Betsy and Jessica document DEB15 which was originally thought to be a U turn false crawl. Jessica had learned a lot about turtles during her stay at DeBordieu!
6-25-20 Duane Draper earned his SCDNR certification...Congratulations!
6-26-20 DEB16 had a tight body pit and Judie easily located the egg chamber.
6-26-20 DEB16 could be the wandering turtle from 6-25. She was smart to come straight in this time to lay her nest!
6-26-20 Pat and John had an aborted attempt called a false crawl. The turtle could have seen activity on the beach and retreated.
6-26-20 Bob B. had a natural nest in the dunes which were covered with sea oats.
6-26-20 Sea oat roots could cause a problem for hatchlings trying to exit this nest.
6-28-20 DEB17 was located by Pat and Marie just south of #15mm at Prince George Beach.
6-28-20 The dust storm off the Sahara Desert has made it's way across the Atlantic and was responsible for the hazy sunrise off Hobcaw Beach 6/28. Photo by Wendy A.
6-29-20 HOB25 was located just south of #10mm and Steven made short order of locating the chamber!
6-29-20 This turtle went to extra effort to protect her nest from the ocean. Steven found the eggs in a very tidy body pit on top of the pushed up dune in Ocean Green.
6-29-20 After being off for 2 weeks, Steven celebrates finding 2 Hobcaw nests today! HOB26 was high on the dune in Ocean Green.
6-30-20 Martha and Debbie found this crawl south of #6mm that had nest potential.
6-30-20 Martha located the egg chamber of HOB27 while Debbie was excited observe the process.
6-30-20 Due to the pandemic, SCDNR is not allowing hands-on training of new volunteers. Debbie was happy to be an observer and learn the process from veteran volunteer, Martha!
6-30-20 Gimpy tried unsuccessfully 6 different times to dig a chamber deep enough to hold her clutch of eggs. We hope she returns and prevails tonight.
7-1-20 Donna found this crawl just north of WW#7.
7-1-20 Donna easily located the egg chamber in the long body pit and decided the nest needed to be moved to a safer location.
7-1-20 DEB18 (northernmost) joined 2 other nests north of WW#6 which is becoming a nursery. Nests are socially distancing, of course:) Nice relocation, Donna!
7-1-20 Gimpy revisited Hobcaw Beach last night but did not lay her nest. There were 3 attempted areas.
6-30-20 The afternoon storms left behind a beautiful full double rainbow. Bill took this photo at the Beach Club walkway.
7-2-20 Bob C. found DEB19 just north of WW#7 laid in a scarped dune and knew it would need relocation.
7-2-20 Bob relocated 120 eggs to the "nursery" just north of WW#6.
7-2-20 Gimpy tried, unsuccessfully with multiple attempts, to nest on the creekside of Hobcaw. Lourdes probed her last effort but found no eggs.
7-2-20 Since Gimpy is missing her right rear flipper, she has difficulty digging her chamber deep enough. Here, north of #9mm on Hobcaw she tried 5 different places.
7-2-20 Lourdes had her first solo nest as a newly certified volunteer. HOB28 was located just north of #0mm on Hobcaw.
7-3-20 Gimpy's unsuccessful attempt to nest, one of 2 false crawls Bob and Denise found this morning.
7-3-20 Gimpy had not actually been seen for 25 years. This morning Denise and Bob B. met her on Hobcaw, took a video and photos. Sadly, she crawled twice and again did not deposit eggs.
7-3-20 Gimpy returns to the ocean leaving no nest behind.
7-3-20 It was a long night for this old turtle and she was surely glad to get back in her watery home. Come back and nest tonight Gimpy!
7-4-20 Gimpy barely came out of the water and made no attempt to dig, a U-turn north #11mm on Hobcaw.
7-4-20 In another effort, Gimpy tried multiple times to dig and left an open chamber in her last attempt.
7-4-20 Duane found this non-Gimpy crawl with nest potential indicated by thrown sand and an area of covering in the tracks.
7-4-20 Duane was happy to locate the egg chamber and claim his first solo nest!
7-5-20 This crawl north #6mm may have been a second attempt by a turtle who came up north #2mm. This time she nested and Brandie located the egg chamber...HOB30!
7-5-20 HOB30 was a textbook nest and laid in an ideal spot on a low dune. Good job, Brandie!
7-5-20 Gimpy made her 8th attempt in 6 days to nest. No eggs were found in this crawl.
7-6-20 The full moon sets as the sun rises on Monday, July 6 (photo by Mark DuP)
7-6-20 Steven located and protected HOB31 south of #4mm
7-6-20 HOB32 was a textbook crawl just north of #4mm.
7-6-20 Steven and his mom had a full morning of turtle activity with 2 nests and a false crawl!
7-6-20 Buffie and Mark found this mammoth hole between Walkways #5 and #6. Holes like this are a danger to people, animals and sea turtles coming up to nest. Please dig any holes below the high tide line so they will naturally fill in.
7-7-20 Gimpy made a breast cancer awareness sign in the sand at the #16mm on Hobcaw but did not attempt to dig.
7-7-20 This was another attempt by Gimpy south #13mm where she dug in multiple places but deposited no eggs. This makes 11 tries in 8 nights...poor girl.
7-7-20 Martha found this crawl north #15mm and located the egg chamber in uprooted vegetation atop a dune. Congratulations on HOB33, Martha!
7-7-20 The turtle that had just laid HOB33 took the long way back to her watery home!
7-8-20 Gimpy crawled up, ran into the sea wall and returned to the ocean.
7-8-20 The tide was receding (low at 5:09 a.m.) when Gimpy made this futile effort to nest.
7-8-20 This crawl was one of 6 crawls Kathi A. had on Hobcaw. This one had Gimpy's signature stump mark up the middle because she is missing her left rear flipper.
7-9-20 Gimpy assisted by Kathi A. was able to deposit her clutch of 125 eggs just south WW#5. This was her 16th attempt in 10 days...success!
7-9-20 The clutch was relocated to get it out of the tide line. Gimpy and Kathi worked hard to make this nest happen!
7-9-20 Bob C. with instruction from Bill relocated Gimpy's nest to better habitat at the base of the dune south of WW#5.
7-10-20 Bob found a long crawl with body pit north #19 near the inlet.
7-10-20 Probing and digging, Bob located the egg chamber of HOB34...Go Bob!
7-10-20 It seems this turtle tried to scale the dune but had no luck in digging a chamber in the soft sand...a false crawl.
7-10-20 Bob Ciminel has earned his SCDNR certification...congratulations!
7-11-20 Jackie located and protected DEB21 north of WW#4.
7-11-20 This turtle didn't like her first body pit and moved on to make another and deposited her eggs.
7-11-20 Wendy located the egg chamber and protected the nest just north #1mm....HOB35!
7-12-20 This turtle tried to crawl up the pushed dune in Ocean Green.
7-12-20 Marie , working toward certification, located and protected HOB36 with instruction from Carolyn.
7-12-20 Duane found this crawl south of #12mm, located the egg chamber and relocated the clutch because it was laid below the spring tide line. It would be prone to successive wash overs.
7-12-20 Duane documents his first solo relocation of a nest. HOB37 had 126 eggs +1 for DNA...nice job!
7-13-20 This turtle had a perfect crawl known as "textbook'. It is every turtle volunteer's dream to probe!
7-13-20 Buffie shows the egg she took from DEB22 which will be used for DNA.
7-13-20 Buffie has DEB22 all tucked in for a 55-60 day incubation!
7-13-20 The sun rises over Hobcaw Beach on the morning of July 13. Photo by Steven G.
7-14-20 Beth and Jean found this beautiful crawl just south of #16mm at Prince George.
7-14-20 Jean points to the body pit of DEB23 in relation to the location from the dunes. She and Beth decided to leave the nest natural.
7-14-20 Beth went through the probing procedure with Jean observing. she located the soft sand of the chamber, dug down and found the eggs. This one will be used for DNA.
7-16-20 HOB38, south #6mm was a textbook crawl that volunteers love to probe!
7-16-20 Dark, thrown sand, uprooted vegetation are indications that the turtle nested. Marie probed and found the egg chamber of HOB39...way to go!
7-16-20 Marie holds the egg from HOB39 that will be used for DNA testing.
7-16-20 Carolyn and Marie had a busy, hot morning with 4 crawls. By the end of their survey, they jumped in the water to cool down! We admire your dedication ladies:)
7-16-20 The story of Kathi A. helping Gimpy dig her nest made the front page of the Coastal Observer!
7-17-20 This turtle didn't quite crawl high enough to lay her nest north of #11mm so Bob B. had to relocate 102 eggs (HOB40)
7-17-20 This turtle went far up on the beach and deposited her eggs in dune grasses and roots. Bob B. probed and located the chamber. Under SCDNR protocol this nest (HOB41) had to be left in situ.
7-17-20 Bob B. documents the location of HOB41 just north #8mm on Hobcaw.
7-18-20 Maribeth and Donna found this U turn false crawl up at Prince George.
7-18-20 A fox is showing interest in our turtle nests which concerns us. Foxes can tunnel under screens and get into the clutch of eggs.
7-18-20 Wendy noted the tracks of a small alligator that crawled a long distance on Hobcaw Beach.
7-19-20 There is a fox that works the beach at night. It looked as if the fox was right behind the turtle as she crawled. Did it scare her and cause the false crawl?
7-19-20 This turtle has a barnacle on her plastron that makes a distinctive mark in the sand. Both Middle false crawls had this same characteristic (between WW#3 and #5).
7-19-20 Brandie and Ryan found this classic crawl/body pit and turned it into HOB42!
7-19-20 Ryan documented Brandie's nest find of HOB42 with this photo. It is located south #1mm.
7-19-20 A rare daytime nesting turtle came up on the beach at Prince George at 4:00 p.m.
7-19-20 The loggerhead dug her nest chamber and started dropping eggs.
7-10-20 The nesting process took about 45 minutes. Then the turtle began an elaborate covering process, throwing sand with all 4 flippers to disguise her nest.
7-19-20 Mark measured the turtle's carapace to estimate the age. She appears to be a young mother.
7-19-20 Buffie documents the turtle's trek into the ocean knowing she was glad to be going "home" after a hot afternoon on the beach!
7-20-20 This was a tidy false crawl north #9mm between DeBordieu and Prince George. Buffie and Mark probed but found no egg chamber.
7-20-20 The false crawl had barnacle scrapes from the turtle's plastron and fox prints up the middle.
7-21-20 Beth found this crawl north #12mm at Prince George.
7-21-20 The tracks of DEB25 were similar to the false crawl north #9mm yesterday. Both had barnacle scrapes from the turtle's plastron. It may be the same turtle:)
7-21-20 The sun rises on another hot July day. (photo by Martha)
7-25-20 Hatchling tracks lead to the ocean from a nest.
7-27-20 3 hatchlings make their way to the ocean from the inventory of HOB01.
7-27-20 Hatchlings instinctively know to crawl to the ocean.
7-27-20 Almost "home"!
7-27-20 Thank you Santee Cooper for providing these LIGHTS OUT bumper stickers. Sea turtles are hatching and dig the dark!
7-28-20 Martha and Debbie did an inventory of a Hobcaw nest and found 26 lively hatchlings still in the chamber!
7-28-20 The hatchlings were carried to the flat beach to crawl to the ocean.
7-28-20 This turtle is on it's way to an adventure circumventing the Atlantic Ocean. The process will take about 15 years to bring this turtle back to the Caribbean.
7-30-20 Susan had our first nest in more than a week just south #6mm. Nesting is slowing down as hatching activity is picking up!
7-30-20 This mama turtle laid her nest all snug behind a low dune on Hobcaw.
8-2-20 After 3 attempts DEB26 finally nested just south #14mm.
8-2-20 Judy K. and Marie relocated DEB26 to a safer spot on the face of the dunes at Prince George.
8-2-20 Brandie found this nest south #19mm that hatched just fine with no protection. It is called a wild nest because we missed it when it was laid.
8-2-20 One of 3 Hobcaw nests that hatched last night!
8-2-20 DEB25 was laid in a low area and had to be relocated. Mark was only able to save 37 eggs before the nest was inundated.
8-2-20 A turtle emerged from the surf around 6 p.m., made a U turn and went back in the ocean.
8-3-20 DEB27 located just north #8mm was likely the second nesting effort of the turtle that made the U turn at Prince George Sunday evening.
8-6-20 It was encouraging to see a fresh crawl after H. Isaias! Maribeth found DEB28 this morning.
8-6-20 The sign for DEB17 was put in the general area per GPS coordinates. Maribeth was able to locate the chamber...another nest FOUND!
8-6-20 Bob C. and helper, Sean, dig deep to uncover DEB15.
8-6-20 DEB15 dug out and again protected until hatching time. Thanks Sean and Bob C.!
8-6-20 Martha dug out HOB22 with dark clouds looming!
8-6-20 Storms re-distribute our supplies in the most inconvenient places and often great distances from their original location.
8-10-20 A bucket of 30 hatchlings found in the chamber from the inventory of DEB09 at Prince George.
8-10-20 Tracks left by hatchlings of the inventory of DEB09 making a dash to the ocean.
8-10-20 A lone hatchling from DEB09 is silhouetted by the rising sun and makes it's way into the surf.
8-16-20 This large loggerhead crawled up on the beach at 2:45 p.m. south WW#8 and made a sharp U turn at the sea wall. To come up during the day she was likely desperate to lay her nest.
8-17-20 Buffie and Mark found this crawl hoping it was the daytime crawler from Sunday, the 16th.
8-17-20 Buffie probed the crawl and located the egg chamber! The DNA sample will tell us if this is the same turtle with telemetry.
8-17-20 DEB29 north #9mm protected!
9-11-20 This Columbia family had good quality time together creating this sand sculpture!
9-11-20 This volunteer shows his love of country and sea turtles.
9-11-20 What a cute way to entice your grandson to love turtles!
Official SCUTE LOOP logo
SCUTE Looper Mary
SCUTE Looper Paula
SCUTE Loopers Ryan and Cooper
SCUTE Loopers Heather, Frank, Ryan and Cooper
SCUTE Loopers Donna and Frankie
SCUTE Loopers Judie, Carolyn and Pat
SCUTE Looper Caitline
SCUTE Loopers Katia and Elizabeth
SCUTE Loopers Ray and Bill
SCUTE Loopers Roy and Beth
SCUTE Loop Participants
SCUTE Looper Susan
SCUTE Loopers Bob, Denise and Maureen
SCUTE Loopers Virginia and Steve
SCUTE Looper Janeen
SCUTE Loopers Susan and Betsy
SCUTE Looper Cooper
SCUTE Looper Olive
SCUTE Loopers Val and Rowan
SCUTE Loopers Julia, Aaron, Jim, Jane, Kara, Charlotte, Lucy, Zeke and Baxter
SCUTE Loopers Mark, Cooper and Buffie
SCUTE Looper Bill
SCUTE Loopers Jane T., Gwin, Anna, Julie, Kelly, Jane C., Sha and Cindy
SCUTE Loopers on the move
SCUTE Loopers, Alexandra, Nick and Sawyer
SCUTE Looper Sawyer
SCUTE Loopers Brycen and Chris
SCUTE Looper Anastasia-carapace
SCUTE Looper Anastasia-plastron
SCUTE Loopers Casselyn and Anastasia
SCUTE Loopers Kathi and Anastasia
2019 Turtle Season
4-26-19 Hilton Head Island had a rare daytime nesting of a Kemps ridley.
Morning dawns on Hobcaw as another turtle season begins.
Shorebird eggs, nests and chicks easily blend in to the dune habitat.
SCDNR has posted 'No Dogs Allowed' signs near #8 mile marker on Hobcaw Beach. There is active shorebird nesting and dogs wandering in this area can destroy nests and chicks.
5-13 DEB01 was laid just north of WW#6 against the scarped dune.
Bob transfers 138 viable eggs to a bucket and then to a new nest.
5-13 Bob proudly shows protected DEB01!
5-16 Susan and Lourdes found a textbook crawl laid above the high tide line. Lourdes located the egg chamber easily for her first nest!
5-16 New volunteer, Lourdes, proudly shows her first nest, HOB01.
5-17 DEB02 was a textbook crawl laid around 11:00 p.m.
5-17 Pat and John probed the crawl of DEB02 with John locating the chamber. Go team!
5-19 DEB03 was a long meandering crawl but Maribeth probed and found the chamber!
5-19 Judy and Maribeth happily show protected DEB03 at Prince George.
5-19 DEB04 had a long area of nesting possibility. Mark got some good probing experience with Judy finally locating the chamber!
5-19 The DEB04 team of Buffie, Mark, Maribeth and Judy was happy to finally locate the nest!
5-20 This turtle wanted her nest to be high and dry but could not form a chamber in the soft sand.
5-20 Steven attempted probing the crawl but without finding a chamber.
5-21 Beth and Pat St. found this crawl just south of Prince George.
5-21 Kathy C. found a crawl north WW#6 with a big variation in lengths indicating the turtle spent time on the beach.
5-21 The DEB06 team: Kathy C. and helper, David.
5-21 The DEB05 team: Beth and Pat St.
5-21 Pat St. found her first turtle nest and shows an egg to prove it!
Bob got some good probing experience with Kathi A. as his instructor.
The turtle that laid HOB03 plowed along the base of the dunes for a while before nesting.
Bob surveys the crawl and body pit of HOB02
A beautiful crawl by a tidy turtle. Volunteers just love this kind of crawl!
Peggy was happy to locate the egg chamber of DEB07!
Former homeowner, Karen fetched supplies so she and Peggy could protect DEB07. Good teamwork:)
Buffie and Mark noticed fresh tracks around 6:00 p.m. near their house at Prince George.
This daytime nesting turtle came up without being noticed and successfully laid her nest at the base of the dunes.
Buffie located her first egg chamber, something she will never forget.
Buffie smiles with her first nest as the sun sets.
Bill had a false crawl on Hobcaw near #5mm and then found this textbook nest south #11mm.
5-26 Bob C. happily poses with protected HOB05.
5-26 Bob C. quickly located the egg chamber of HOB05. He and Brandie decided to relocated the nest of 115 to better habitat.
5-26 HOB05 was laid low on the beach in a flat area that slanted landward.
5-26 Pat St. and Maribeth worked well as a team on today's 2 natural nests.
5-26 DEB10 was a textbook crawl which is a volunteer's dream to probe!
5-26 Afer much probing, the DEB09 team is happy to show off and egg:)
5-26 DEB09 crossed over her incoming crawl as she exited.
5-26 A nest laid on the creekside of Hobcaw was reported by a boater around noon.
5-26 Bob B. was available to go by boat and work on the nest. He located the chamber in short order!
5-26 Boaters pose with Bob and protected HOB06.
5-27 There was another nest on the backside of Hobcaw Beach beside HOB06.
5-27 Martha located and protected HOB09 south of #9mm.
5-27 HOB10 crawled around some trees to lay her nest.
5-28 Bob and Martha were fortunate to see this turtle returning to the ocean after meandering for 300 yds,
5-28 This exhausted loggerhead makes a slow crawl to the ocean. After dousing her with sea water she still had to be lifted into the waves.
5-28 HOB13 crawled all over the beach and behind trying to find the ocean after she nested.
5-28 Bob B. examines what certainly seemed to be the nest of HOB13.
5-28 The nest of HOB13 was actually south of the area that appeared to be the body pit. The turtle began her wandering after she nested. Bill finally solved the mystery.
5-28 The orange circle indicates the area that appeared to be the nest of HOB13.
5-29 Kathi A., dressed for flies, is happy to have found and protected HOB15 in Ocean Green. She located the egg chamber in the heat of the day:(
5-31 DEB11 was a natural nest at Prince George that Judie E. easily located.
5-31 Carolyn and Judie were the DEB11 team!
5-31 Pat and John found where a turtle bumped along the seawall in the Middle for about 50 yds.
5-31 HOB16 crawled up the face of the dune and nested on the way down. Bob located the shallow egg chamber.
5-31 Bob located the shallow egg chamber of HOB16 and is proud to show the protected nest!
6-2 Jane and Donna found the crawl and body pit of DEB12. Notice the dark excavated sand.
6-2 Jane and Donna are happy to have located and protected DEB12 in the Middle.
6-2 One of 2 nests (plus 2 false crawls) Brandie found this morning. HOB17 was a textbook nest.
6-2 Brandie probed and found 2 nests this morning. Here she celebrates locating HOB18!
6-2 Bob put in a lot of time and effort into earning his certification. We sure need his skills for this amazing nesting season we are having...congratulations Bob!
6-3 DEB13 was laid at the base of the Beach Club Walkway. Jane did a good job locating the egg chamber.
6-3 Jane found and protected DEB13 in front of the Beach Club Walkway.
6-3 Jane also located the egg chamber of DEB14 in front of Pioneer Place Villas...big morning!
6-3 Betsy & Walter are proud of Jane for locating DEB13 & DEB14...big morning!
6-4-19 DEB15 was laid on the gentle slope of the dune at Prince George.
6-4-19 Pat located and protected DEB15 north #13mm.
6-4-19 Beth had Pat and Donna point to where they thought DEB16 would be located.
6-4-19 Donna puts up a sign on the protected nest of DEB17 in front of North Beach Villas.
6-4-19 3 happy volunteers hold up 3 fingers for the total number nests they located today!
6-5 Martha the egg chamber of HOB19 very close to the dead tree. She nested at the end of her incoming crawl...a bit unusual.
6-5 HOB20 nested at the base of the dunes. Wendy, who has been training new volunteers for the past 2 seasons, was happy to have a nest on her own!
6-5 Around 9:00 p.m. at Prince George, a turtle was observed emerging from the surf.
6-6 Frankie, Donna and Peggy found this false crawl which may have been the turtle from Prince George making another attempt at #8mm.
6-6 Bob, with Bill instructing, located the chamber of DEB18, a natural nest. Good job Bob!
6-6 This turtle made a U-turn when it hit the sea wall. Hard structures are nesting deterrents for sea turtles.
6-7 Judy K. found this classic crawl just north #13mm at Prince George. She located the eggs and it became DEB19.
6-7 Judy shows the nursery of 7 natural turtle nests located at Prince George!
6-8 Jackie had this crawl and quickly located the egg chamber. It became DEB21!
6-8 Wendy and Susan found this nesting attempt but after probing, felt the turtle encountered too much debris.
6-8 Wendy probed this textbook crawl searching for the softer sand of the egg chamber.
6-8 HOB21 was located and protected by Wendy.
6-9 Judy teaches Haden to follow the soft sand.
6-9 Haden discovered eggs in the false crawl from Saturday...way to go Haden!
6-9 Judy, Haden and Maribeth had an unexpected discovery as they turned a false crawl into DEB22!
6-9 This loopy false crawl on Hobcaw had 2 turnarounds in the dunes but no evidence of nesting.
6-9 HOB22 laid right beside HOB08 and could be the same turtle at 13 days apart. DNA will tell us!
6-10 Buffie and Mark look on as Haden digs where Walter located a soft area in the hard sand with his aluminum probe.
6-10 Buffie carefully transfers the eggs from the nest into the bucket for relocation north to better habitat.
6-10 Haden digs out the new nest chamber with a cockle shell. This area has much better habitat to incubate the nest of 116 eggs.
6-10 The relocation team of DEB23 poses for a group photo...good teamwork!
6-11- Kathy C. probed in the firm Middle sand and located DEB24.
6-11 Martha found the classic crawl of HOB23 which she left as a natural nest.
6-11 HOB25 was laid below the spring tide line and Martha decided to relocate it to better habitat.
6-11 116 eggs were relocated .
6-11 Kathy C. probed this Hobcaw crawl and found eggs...HOB26!
6-11 Kathy C. takes a rest after working on 3 nests and honing her nest-finding skills!
6-13 Susan and Pat found this crawl with the body pit in an ideal location with the possible nest on top of a low dune.
6-13 Pat, who is working on her certification, examines the crawl to decide incoming vs. outgoing tracks.
6-13 Pat located the egg chamber of HOB27 and protected the nest with Susan's guidance.
6-14 A turtle laid her nest exactly in the pathway of a beach house. The decision was made to relocate.
6-14 Marie, John and Pat took turns carefully transferring eggs out of the original nest and into the new one.
6-14 The DEB26 relocation team did a good job and proudly shows the new home site. 110 eggs will incubate for about 55 days before hatching.
6-15 Judie found this crawl north #8mm and turned it into natural DEB27!
6-15 Wendy and Duane found this body pit against the newly pushed up dune. Duane probed and easily located his first nest...HOB28!
6-15 A strong female loggerhead scaled the high dune in Ocean Green to lay her nest high & dry.
6-15 Duane and Wendy examine the long stretch of area where the nest could be located.
6-15 After much probing and digging, Duane happily uncovers an egg from his second nest!
6-15 Tired but glad to have found the egg chamber of HOB29, Wendy and Duane pause for a photo:)
6-15 This shows the strength of loggerheads to climb this tall dune. This female turtle made sure HOB29 was high & dry!
6-16 DEB28 was laid on a good slant of a Prince George dune.
6-16 Haden and Maribeth stand with DEB29 located between DeBordieu and Prince George.
6-16 Haden watches as Maribeth digs to find the egg chamber of DEB28 at Prince George.
6-16 Bill found this crawl north of #8, probed and turned it into HOB30!
6-16 HOB31 was laid near a dead tree on Hobcaw. Bill located the egg chamber quickly.
6-17 Tom found this crawl north #16mm and turned it into DEB31.
6-17 Walter and Haden had a crawl south WW#4. Kathi A. observed the turtle nesting around 10:30 last night!
6-17 Walter created a wooden T bar probe and let Haden try it out. He probed, found a soft area and Walter confirmed it as the egg chamber:)
6-18 Martha was greeted with a beautiful Hobcaw sunrise and turtle crawl.
6-18 HOB32 was in a good location so Martha left it natural.
6-18 HOB33 was laid on the gentle slant of the dune so Martha left it natural.
6-18 Congratulations to Jane Cooper who has earned her SCDNR certification!
6-19 Haden probes the crawl of DEB33.
6-19 The creekside nester returned to Hobcaw, Mark located the eggs and it became HOB34.
6-19 After much probing and digging, Mark located the egg chamber of HOB35 located north #2mm
6-19-19 Buffie digs in to locate the eggs of HOB36 north of #0mm in Ocean Green.
6-19-19 Congratulations to Buffie, Mark and Kathi A. on their 3 nest day!
6-20 Donna did a good job of locating DEB34 in a flat area on top of the vegetated dune!
6-21 DEB35 crawl at Prince George.
6-21 DEB35 team photo:)
6-21 Crawl south #5 in front of N. Beach Villas.
6-21 Bingo....Lourdes located the egg chamber and this nest became DEB36!
6-21 Lourdes probed and located the egg chamber and this became nest DEB36!
6-21 Congratulations to Lourdes for finding DEB36!
6-22 Judie E. found this crawl north #12mm.
6-22 Judie wasted no time locating the egg chamber of DEB37 as a severe storm approached!
6-22 Bob B., walking the Middle, captured this image of the eerie storm clouds of a surprise thunderstorm.
6-22 Wendy's panoramic photo from Hobcaw Beach shows the strange stratus clouds associated with the wicked storm that passed blew through the area.
6-22 Duane looks apprehensively as the dark storm clouds approach remote Hobcaw Beach!
6-24 This turtle left a perfect imprint of her head at the nest she laid in Ocean Green (HOB37).
6-24 Maribeth wasted no time using her probe to locate the egg chamber of natural HOB37.
6-24 These vials are headed to SCDNR and contain eggshells collected from nests laid at DEB/HOB/NTH. The DNA they contain gives us a lot of information about the travels of these turtles this season.
6-25 HOB38 was a textbook nest and Martha knew right where to find the egg chamber!
6-25 HOB38 had a large body pit area. Martha found the nest under the fluffy piled up sand.
6-25 HOB39 had an outgoing crawl that went exactly over her incoming crawl.
6-26 Please take your beach debris OFF the beach at night!
6-26 Bob B. found this crawl south WW#7 in front of the Beach Villas.
6-26 Assisted by Buffie and Mark, Bob is happy to have completed his second relocated nest...a lot of work!
6-26 Donna located the egg chamber of natural HOB40.
6-26 HOB41 was laid in a beautiful area on the gentle rise of the dune.
6-26 Donna was happy to find the egg chamber of HOB41!
6-27 HOB42 was a remote nest with a long crawl south #16.
6-27 The body pit of HOB42 is considered 'textbook' and a volunteer's dream to probe!
6-27 Susan made quick work of locating the chamber of HOB43 north #4mm.
6-28 This is what late-risers miss...a beautiful Hobcaw sunrise!
6-28 HOB44 body pit located north #1mm.
6-28 Mark and Buffie are getting the feel for locating nest egg chambers...go Mark!
6-28 Mark and Buffie were a good team in finding and protecting HOB44.
6-29 Vacationers look on as Jackie carefully transfers eggs from the original nest.
6-29 Donna gets experience relocating her first nest.
6-30 We are calling this turtle 'Barnacle Betty' because she has a line up the left side of her crawl, likely a barnacle on her belly. This was her 4th false crawl in 3 days:(
6-30 This turtle crawled right over DEB36 and nested on top of the dune in front of N. Beach Villas.
6-30 DEB41, located in front of N. Beach Villas, was located by Donna.
6-30 We are proud of Donna for earning her SCDNR certification!
7-1 Ingrid and Tom found Barnacle Betty's 5th crawl since Friday. This time it was a nest!
7-1 Kathi A. found this textbook crawl south #4mm and turned it into natural HOB47!
7-1 HOB46 nested right behind HOB33 and could be the same turtle returning...if so, DNA will tell us.
7-2 HOB48 was laid low on the beach but was above the wrack line of the King tide. Martha left it natural.
7-2 HOB49 was just south #1mm and located by Martha.
7-2 Martha said HOB50 was a tidy turtle and laid her nest right at the #1mm.
7-2 Judy found the egg chamber of DEB43 high on a dune north #13mm at Prince George.
7-3 Buffie and Mark walked out their front door at Prince George to find this crawl.
7-3 The body pit of DEB44 has lots of thrown sand indicating a nest!
7-3 Mark and Buffie both probed the nest and found a soft spot but Pat had to use her metal probe to locate the eggs 20 in. deep.
7-4 Pat St. located this nest 30 yds. south #0mm...congratulations!
7-4 At 9:00 last night a lady watched a turtle try to climb the pushed up dune in Ocean Green. She couldn't make it up or dig her chamber and returned to the ocean.
7-5 Bob B. found this beautiful crawl south #15mm at Prince George.
7-5 Bob B. was able to locate the egg chamber of DEB45 and saved one eggshell for DNA.
7-5 This turtle likes to climb high dunes and is likely the same one that tried in Ocean Green yesterday.
7-5 Uprooted vegetation, thrown sand and a body pit are all evidence that the turtle laid a nest.
7-5 Mark stands high atop the Ocean Green dune with HOB53.
7-6 This turtle crawled right up to HOB12 just north #3mm.
7-6 Likely the same turtle, she crawled up beside HOB35 and did a tight turnaround without nesting.
7-6 The wide crawl of this turtle indicates she is large. Hopefully, she will try again tonight.
7-7 This crawl and body pit just north of the Beach Club had all the classic signs of a nest.
7-7 Maribeth worked on her probing technique and easily located DEB46.
7-7 DEB46 located and marked by Maribeth!
7-7 Brandie and Ryan found this crawl south#12mm on Hobcaw.
7-7 Brandie, with help from Ryan, located HOB54. It was the 100th nest for DeBordieu & Hobcaw!
7-7 Brandie located the egg chamber of HOB55, just south #3mm.
7-7 This turtle left an open chamber maybe due to roots or she could have been scared off by coyotes. Tracks wee seen nearby.
7-9 Pat located DEB47 just south #16mm at Prince George.
7-9 A turtle laid her nest at the foot of the middle steps at the Beach Villas. Mark located the egg chamber. The nest was moved north to better habitat.
7-9 This large loggerhead crawled up and behind 2 side by side nests.
7-9 HOB57 located her nest just behind HOB08 on the right. Could be a trio of nests by the same female. DNA will tell us if so!
7-10 DEB49 was just north #10mm on the North.
7-10 Lourdes and Mark worked on and located DEB50 with Pat's guidance.
7-10 Kathi A. found this textbook crawl which became HOB58.
7-11 Bob C. found the crawl of DEB51 south WW#7.
7-11 DEB51 had to be relocated to south WW#5 Bill instructed Donna and Bob C.
7-11 Lourdes located the egg chamber of HOB59 north #13mm.
7-11 Lourdes systematically probed and did well locating DEB59 north #13mm.
7-11 Excited to have done the record-breaking nest, Bob and Donna are all smiles!
7-11 The crawl and body pit of DEB60 indicated another textbook nest.
7-12 The crawl of HOB61 was just north #1mm.
7-12 Buffie studied the body pit area and decided where the egg chamber would likely be and then began probing.
7-12 Buffie's hunch paid off and she found the deep egg chamber of HOB61!
7-12 Having run out of supplies during this amazing season, Buffie and Mark used a new marking system on HOB61.
7-13 This turtle crawled up to the low dune and nested in vegetation (DEB52).
7-13 Judie E. located DEB52 in dune vegetation.
7-13 DEB53 was found north #5mm in front of N. Beach Villas. Judie's find was DeBordieu & Hobcaw's 114th nest!
7-14 Haden probed and located the egg chamber of 'Barnacle Betty', the turtle with a distinctive scrape up her crawl. Go Haden!
7-14 Buffie probed this crawl, found a soft area and located the eggs of HOB52!
7-14 The nest of HOB63 first appeared to be a false crawl but Mark turned it into a nest!
7-15 DEB55 was laid around 11:00 p.m. 7/14 and obseved by Buffie and Mark as she returned to the ocean. Bob C., walking with Tom this morning, located the egg chamber.
7-15 The current edition of Garden & Gun has a great article about the SC Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. Their patients are sick/injured loggerheads that they rehab with the goal of returning them to the ocean.
7-15 Volunteers gathered to celebrate the record breaking nesting season:)
7-16 This was the concise crawl/body pit of DEB56 laid north #14mm at Prince George.
7-16 Lourdes quickly located the chamber then Anita dug down to find the eggs!
7-16 HOB64 laid her nest a bit too low on the beach. Martha, Buffie and Mark decided to relocate to safer habitat.
7-16 Mark watches Buffie carefully remove the eggs from the nest of HOB64 laid too low on the beach.
7-16 Buffie replaces the eggs of HOB64 in the newly dug chamber, a safer habitat for the nest to incubate.
7-16 Certified Buffie and Mark!
7-17 This turtle nested low on the beach so Pat O., Buffie and Mark relocated the clutch to safer incubating habitat (DEB58)
7-17 The major hatch of natural DEB03 south #14mm at Prince George!
7-17 This tidy turtle laid her nest out of harm's way. Donna easily located the chamber of DEB57!
7-17 A crowd gathered for one of the first nest inventories of the season, DEB01 south WW#4.
7-17 A turtle just hatching out of its shell drew many interested onlookers. It eventually wiggled out of the shell and crawled around in the sand-filled bucket.
7-17 The lone hatchling found in the nest of DEB02 was extra small and very light in color.
7-17 The crowd of about 75 people formed 2 lines to give the lone hatchling a runway to the ocean...its new watery home!
7-18 Peggy located the chamber of DEB59 and marked the spot!
7-18 Carolyn gives the Turtle Talk for the inventory of DEB06.
7-18 One of 2 healthy, frisky hatchlings released from the inventory of nest DEB06.
7-18 Hatchlings instinctively head for the ocean when put on the beach.
7-18 The crowd gives the 2 hatchlings a proper send off into the blue Atlantic. Their destination is the Gulf Stream, a frantic 60 mile swim!
7-19 Bob B. was able to count 50+ tracks from the hatch of DEB05 just south of Prince George!
7-20 The turtle that laid HOB65 pulled up the screen of another nest and covered her chamber for about 5 feet!
7-20 Wendy and Duane both probed trying to locate the soft area indicating the egg chamber.
7-20 About 45 tracks were counted from the hatch of HOB05.
7-21 This nest was laid low on the beach. Judy and Maribeth decided to relocate it.
7-21 Maribeth probed, located and relocated the nest of DEB60 solo!
7-21 Brandie did the morning inventory of HOB02 which had a n 85% success rate:)
7-21 Judy K. took this photo of a hatchling from the inventory last night of DEB07.
7-22 A coyote dug into the hatched nest of DEB05 just south of Prince George.
7-22 One of 3 hatchlings released from the morning inventory of DEB05 just south of Prince George.
7-23 DEB10 in front of N. Beach Villas had a big hatch. Beth and Pat St counted 40 tracks. We will inventory this nest Friday at 6:00 p.m.!
7-23 Kathi A., out for a bike ride, found Robin doing the inventory of HOB05. It had a good hatch success of 90%!
7-23 The DNA of HOB05 shows she is a traveler. In 2016 she nested at Cape Hatteras and then swam 167 miles to the SC lowcountry for her remaining nests.
7-24 A coyote dug up the contents of inventoried HOB05 just north of #7mm on Hobcaw.
7-24 Duane did his first solo inventory of HOB11. It had a great hatch success of 96% with one live hatchling to release.
7-25 Coyote(s) dug into the hatching or hatched nest of DEB09 at Prince George.
7-25 This hatchling was released from the inventory of the coyote-depredated nest of DEB09 at Prince George.
7-25 Frankie and Peggy found a fresh crawl just north #13mm at Prince George and turned it into natural DEB61!
7-25 About 60 hatchlings emerged from HOB10 last night and made it safely to the ocean!
7-26 Duane engages the crowd with his turtle knowledge as the contents of DEB10 are excavated.
7-26 As Maribeth digs up the contents of DEB10, Lourdes and Donna await shells to count.
7-26 Nine hatchlings were found in the chamber of hatched DEB10. They were put in a bucket for release onto the beach.
7-26 Volunteers asked everyone to form 2 lines for the safe release of the 9 hatchlings from DEB10.
7-26 Volunteers paused for a commemorative photo of the inventory of DEB10...a 93% hatch success!
7-28 Maribeth easily located the chamber of DEB62 as Bill observed.
7-29 A crowd gathered for the inventory of HOB10 on Hobcaw Beach.
7-29 The HOB10 inventory team dug out the contents of the nest and found 21 hatchlings that had not made it out on their own.
7-29 21 turtles found in the nest were passed around for all to see.
7-29 Martha passed the bucket for all to be amazed at the 21 hatchlings found in HOB10.
7-29 2 hatchlings crawled side by side into their new watery home...the Atlantic Ocean!
7-29 One hatchling had a gimpy flipper so Martha gave it a little boost past the breakers and sent it on to the Gulf Stream.
7-30 Kathi A. speaks above the encroaching high tide at the inventory of HOB15. She did a good job educating the crowd of 40-50.
7-30 An avid crowd of turtle enthusiasts gathered for the inventory of HOB15 in Ocean Green.
7-30 2 of the 3 turtles were released onto the short stretch of beach to crawl to the ocean.
7-30 3 hatchlings were found in the chamber of HOB15 3 days after the hatch.
7-30 Inventory attendees and volunteers lined up to give the hatchlings a proper send off into the Great Atlantic...their new watery home!
7-31 A coyote(s) dug into DEB16 during hatching.
7-31 3 of 6 hatchlings were released that survived the coyote break in of DEB16!
7-31- Donna found the hatch of DEB23 with an estimated 30-40 tracks out of the nest!
7-31 The Coastal Observer had a front page article about the hatching season and also a nice editorial.
