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Love Sea Turtles!
I was so excited today! I got to go to watch the Folly Beach Turtle Team do an inventory of a turtle nest that had hatched.
I love sea turtles and really wanted to volunteer this year for the turtle program but was unable. So to be able to go see a hatchling inventory was really neat. This was Turtle Nest #21. According to the DNA samples, this Momma Loggerhead Turtle has laid 3 nests on Folly Beach this year.
When turtle nests are found, they are marked off with “turtle nest” signs and stakes with ribbons are put around the nesting area. Each morning, volunteers walk the beach to see if any of the nests have hatched. If they have, they wait about three days then inventory the nest to see how many turtles hatched and how many didn’t. If I remember correctly, only 1 turtle hatchling in 1000 makes it to adulthood!
This nest yielded 65 hatched eggs, 40 un-hatched (which I was told was very unusual) and one little baby that didn’t make it out of the nest. Early last week, beach goers were pleasantly surprised when one nest inventoried revealed 14 live hatchlings waiting to get out of the nest!
I want to thank Teri Siskind, Donna Davis and all the volunteers with the Folly Beach Turtle Watch program for all the wonderful work they do for our precious sea turtles.
Big Hugs Everyone!
Miki
