After the amazing sea turtle nesting season we experienced in 2019, the start to this year seems quite slow. We have had no activity here at DeBordieu & Hobcaw but there is nesting just to our south and a few nests north of us.
There have been multiple sightings of both leatherbacks and loggerheads just beyond the breakers. They say loggerheads, by day, scope out nesting sites and wait to come in at night. Leatherbacks are the largest of all sea turtle species and can weigh up to 2000 pounds and can be up to 5+ ft. long. They nest in Central and South America over the winter and then migrate north in spring to forage in the cooler North Atlantic waters during the summer. Their rubbery skin (no hard shell) allows them to maintain their body temperature so they can take colder temperatures. Along their migratory route they feed on the big cannonball jellyfish we are seeing in abundance on the beach. You may see them feeding at the surface just past the breakers. They are big, black and about the size of a Smart Car! They don’t usually nest here but Cape Romain (to our south) had a nest just this past week.
