NMB NEST #5 INVENTORY

 THIS NEST WAS LAID ON MAY 29th.  125 EGGS WERE IN THIS NEST, ONE WAS USED FOR DNA STUDIES.  ONE SPACER EGG (non-viable)  AND ONE OVAL LARGE EGG WAS FOUND  THIS NEST HAD NOT SHOWN ANY EVIDENCE OF AN EMERGENCE, BUT IT HAD BEEN VERY WINDY FOR MANY DAYS, AND ANY SIGNSOF EMERGENCE COULD BE COVERED UP BY THE STRONG WINDS.  PER SCDNR GUIDLINES IF THE NEST HAS NO SIGNS OF EMERGENCE IT CAN NOT BE INVENTORIED UNTIL DAY 70. DURLING INVENTORY IT WAS FOUND THAT THE HATCHLINGS HAD ALREADY EMERGED, BUT IT IS UNKNOWN  ON WHAT DAY.  ONE  OF TWO PIPPED EGGS CONTAINED A TWO HEADED DEAD HATCHLING. 

ONE SMALL SPACER EGG WAS FOUND IN THIS NEST, SPACER EGGS ARE NON-VIABLE, AND ARE NOT COUNTED IN THE EGG COUNTS.

ON VERY LARGE OVAL EGG WAS FOUND IN THIS NEST.  

MANY NMB STP VOLUNTEERS HAVE COME TO HELP, THEY ANSWER MANY QUESTIONS FROM EXCITED BYSTANDERS.

TORI BRINGS AN UNHATCHED EGG, SO ALL HAS THE OPPURTUNITY TO SEE WHAT A SEA TURTLE EGG LOOKS LIKE.

THE EGGS ARE CAREFULLY COUNTED AND DOCUMENTED, HATCHLINGS, DEAD HATCHLINGS, PIPED EGGS, HOW MANY LIVE HATCHLINGS CAME OUT OF THE NEST.

ONCE INVENTORY IS COMPLETED, RESULTS ARE GIVEN AND ALL ARE WELCOME TO LOOK AT THE EGGS AND THE NEST CAVITY.

INVENTORY RESULTS

84.6% HATCH RATE SUCCESS

125 EGGS IN THIS NEST, ONE WAS USED FOR DNA TESTING

105 hatched 

17 whole eggs, either unfertilized or collapsed or discolored, died early in development.

 2 pipped eggs, hatchlings dead, one of these was a two headed hatchling.

84.6 % Hatch Rate

All Sea Turtles are endangered and protected, special guidelines, training and permits are needed to work with Nesting Se Turtles, nest, eggs, hatchlings and stranded Sea Turtles.

If you see a nesting Sea Turtle, hatchling, or stranding in NMB or Briarcliffe please call the

NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

Any time day or night

NMB SEA TURTLE NEST # 20

 ON AUGUST 3RD, A CALL COMING IN FROM SANITATION TO THE NMB STP HOTLINE,  SEGMENT B WALKERS WERE SOON AT THIS CRAWL, MORE NMB STP VOLUNTEERS CAME  TO HELP.

PART OF THE INCOMING AND OUTGOING CRAWL

THIS MOTHER MADE A COUPLE STOPS, APARENTLY LOOKING FOR A PERFECT SPOT BEFORE GOING ALL THE WAY UP TO THE DUNES, TURNING AROUND AND GOING BACK TOWARDS THE WATER AND NESTING.

YOU CAN SEE FOX PRINTS LEADING RIGHT UP TO, AND THE MIDDLE OF THE EGG CHAMBER. ONE WAY THE NMB STP HELPS TO PROTECT THIS NEST IS BY PUTTING A CAGE AROUND THE NEST TO PROTECT AND HELP DETOUR THE FOX OR ANYTHING ELSE SHARING THE BEACHES WITH US,  WE ALL NEED TO COEXIST TOGETHER, WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE. 

PROBING IS DONE AND THE NEST IS FOUND

THE EGGS ARE COUNTED, AS THIS NEST WAS LAID IN A VERY HIGH TRAFFIC PART OF THE BEACH, WITH MANY BRIGHT LIGHTS BEHIND THE NEST, THIS NEST IS RELOCATED TO A SAFER PART OF THE BEACH.

86 EGGS, ONE WILL BE USED FOR DNA STUDIES.  TOWARDS THE END OF SEA TURTLE NESTING CYCLE, THE NUMBER OF EGGS SHE LAYS TYPICALLY BECOME SMALLER.  IT IS THOUGHT THAT ONCE THIS MOTHER STARTS NESTING, SHE DOES NOT EAT AGAIN, UNTIL THE END OF NESTING CYCLE.

DON AND KIM WORKING ON THE CAGE THAT WILL PROTECT THIS NEST FROM ANYTHING SHARING THE BEACHES WITH US.

PROTECTED NMB SEA TURTLE NEST # 20

RMEMBER WE CAN ALL HELP IN LITTLE WAYS TO PROTECT THE SEA TURTLES

LET ONLY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON GUIDE THE SEA TURTLES TO THE OCEAN.

All Sea Turtles are endangered, they are federally, and state protected, special guidelines, training and permits are required to work with nesting Sea Turtles, nest, eggs, hatchlings and strandings.

If you see a nesting Sea Turtle, hatchlings, or stranding in NMB or Briarcliff please call the

NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

Anytime Day or Night

BRIARCLIFFE SEA TURTLE NEST #1 INVENTORY

 THE FIRST SEA TURTLE NEST ON BRIARCLIFFE.  IT WAS FOUND ON MAY 31st. BOB AND CLAIRE CAME ACROSS THE CRAWL AND SOON CINDY AND CHERI ARRIVED, ALONG WITH OTHER VOLUNTEERS. THIS NEST WAS IN A SAFE LOCATION, SO IT WAS LEFT IN SITU (LEFT JUST AS IT WAS LAID).  THIS NEST INCUBATED FOR 58 DAYS.

ONE EGG IS USED FOR DNA STUDIES AND COVERED BACK UP. A CAGE WAS LATER PUT AROUND THIS NEST TO PROTECT NEST, AS A COYOTE HAD BEEN AROUND THIS NEST.

 JULY 28th, THIS HOLE WAS FOUND INDICATING A MAJOR EMERGENCE. WITH THE WIND AND RAIN ALL HATCHLING TRACKS HAVE BEEN ERASED. 

WIND HAS ADDED SEVERAL INCHES OF SAND ON TOP OF THE ORIGINAL NEST.

THIS HATCHLING HAD DIED DURING LATE DEVELOPMENT

AT THIS POINT IS WHEN THEY WILL KNOW HOW MANY EGGS ARE IN THIS NEST.  THE EGGS ARE CAREFULLY COUNTED AND DOCUMENTED

OK NOW COMES THE GREAT RESULTS THE RESULT FROM THIS INVENTORY

125 EGGS WERE LAID

90.4 % hatch success rate

113 WERE HATCHED EGGS

12 WHOLE EGGS, OF THESE 12 EGGS

      11 DIED IN EARLY DEVELOPMENT

      1 EGG DIED IN LATE DEVELOPMENT

All Sea Turtles are endangered, they are federally, and state protected, special guidelines, training and permits are needed to work with nesting Sea Turtles, Hatchlings, eggs, nest, and stranded Sea Turtles

If you see a Nesting Sea Turtle, Hatchlings, or strandings in NMB or Briarcliffe, please call the

NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

Any time Day or Night

INVENTORY ON NMB NEST # 7

THIS NEST WAS FOUND ON SUNDAY JUNE 5TH. 137 EGGS WERE IN THIS NEST; ONE WAS USED FOR DNA STUDIES. THE NEST  INCUBATED FOR 56 DAYS BEFORE EMERGING.

A PHOTO OF THE HOLE LEFT AFTER THE MAJOR EMERGENCE, AT NIGHT ONLY TURTLE SAFE RED LIGHTS ARE USED.

ONE HATCHLING IS FOUND IN THIS NEST AND IS QUICKLY PUT INTO A BUCKET WITH SAND AT THE BOTTOM UNTIL INVENTORY IS COMPLETED.

THE EGGSHELLS AND EGGS ARE CAREFULLY COUNTED, AND DOCUMENTED, THIS 

STATISTICS WILL BE ENTERED INTO A NATIONAL DATABASE.

MANY NMB SPT VOLUNTEERS CAME TO HELP AT THIS INVENTORY,  TALKING WITH TO THE MANY EXCITED AND INTERESTED PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO WATCH.

ALL ARE ALLOWED TO GO UP TO THE EGG CAVITY TO LOOK, ONCE INVENTORY HAS BEEN COMPLETED.  MANY ARE AMAZED THAT THIS MOTHER DIGS WITH JUST HER TWO BACK FLIPPERS, AND OFTEN DIG DOWN AS DEEP AS TWO FEET OR MORE.

THE ONE HATCHLING IS RELEASED ON THE BEACH AND CRAWLS TO THE OCEAN ON ITS OWN.

IT IS CRITICAL FOR THE HACHLINGS TO MAKE IT TO THE OCEAN ON THIER OWN. IT IS THOUGHT THAT THEY IMPRINT ON THE SAND THEY WERE BORN ON.  THIS IS THOUGHT TO BE THE PROCESS THAT WILL BRING THE MAJORITY OF THE ADULT SEA TURTLES BACK TO BEACHES THEY WERE BORN ON.

NOW FOR THE EXCITING INVENTORY RESULTS

137 EGGS, ONE WAS USED FOR DNA

96.32% hatch success rate

131 hatched eggs were found

5 whole eggs were found

   one of the 5 whole eggs were piped, (hatchling died before leaving the eggshell)

All Sea Turtles are endangered, they are federally, and state protected. Sticked guidelines, training and permits are required to work with nesting Sea Turtles, nest, eggs, hatchlings and stranded sea turtles.

If you see a nesting Sea Turtle, hatchling, or a stranded Seaa Turtle in NMB or Briarcliffe please call

The NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

Any time day or night

INVENTORY ON NMB NEST # 9

 THIS NEST WAS LAID ON JULY 12 th.  108 EGGS IN THIS NEST, 1 WAS USED FOR DNA STUDIES.  THIS WAS VERY RARE AS WHEN CORRINA AND CONNIE FIRST CAME TO THIS CRAWL THEY FOUND ONE CRAWL GOING UP AND NO RETURTNING CRAWL, EXCITED TO FIND THE MOTHER SEA TURTLE AT THE TOP OF THE DUNES STILL NESTING, SOON MORE SUNDAY WALKERS AND VOLUNTEERS ARE THERE TO HELP. THIS NEST WAS VERY SHALLOW, AS ONE OF HER BACK FLIPPERS WAS PARTIALY MISSING.  THIS NEST INCUBATED FOR 52 DAYS, THE FOX HAD DUG INTO THIS NEST, BUT WITH THE CAGE PROTECTING THIS NEST, HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANY EGGS.

ON HER WAY BACK TO THE OCEAN

ALMOST THERE

THIS NEST WAS VERY WIDE AND SHALLOW, COULD BE BECAUSE SHE HAS ONLY A PARTIAL LEFT BACK FLIPPER.

HATCHLING TRACKS COMING FROM THE NEST

AFTER THE EMERGENCE ON HATCHLING MADE IT OUT ON HIS OWN BEFORE INVENTORY IS DONE.

 NOW ONTO INVENTORY, MANY NMB STP VOLUNTEERS HAVE COME TO HELP, ALL TALKING TO THE VERY RESPECTFUL PEOPLE COMING TO WATCH.

UNHATCHED EGGSHELLS, CRYSTAL AND SUSAN TALKING WITH THE VERY CURIOSE CROWD THAT HAD COME TO INVENTORY.

HATCHED EGGSHELLS

THE INVENTORY RESULTS

108 EGGS

31% hatch rate

OUT OF THE 108 EGGS

33 HATCHED EGGS

72 WHOLE UNHATCHED EGGS, OF THESE EGGS

   3 WERE VERY WHITE AND FULL, INDICATING, THEY POSSIBLY WERE NOT FERFILIZED

   69 EGGS WERE DISCOLORED AND COLLAPSED, INDICATING THE DIED IN EARLY          

       DEVELOPMENT, OR NOT AT ALL, EGGS MAY HAVE NOT BEEN FERILIZED.

3 EGGS WERE PIPED, (HEAD STICKING OUT, BUT DEAD)

NO LIVE HATCHLINGS, NO DEAD HATCHLINGS.

Sea Turtles are endangered; they are federally, and state protected. Special guidelines, training and permits are needed to work with nesting Sea Turtles, nest, eggs, hatchlings and stranded turtles.

If you see a nesting Sea Turtle, hatchling, or stranded Sea Turtle in NMB or Briarcliffe, please call the 

NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

Any time day or night

   

ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME TO THE TURTLE TALKS AT THE NMB HISTORICAL MUSEUM TOMORROW. WED AUGUST 3rd FROM 2-3 p.m.

 MARY AND VOLUNTEERS FROM THE NMB STP OUTREACH PROGRAM WILL BE GIVING A VERY FUN AND INTERESTING TURTLE TALK TOMORROW.  

THE TURTLE TALK IS FREE WITH PAID ADMISTION TO THE NMB HISTORICAL MUSEUM

COME ONE COME ALL, AT ANY AGE THIS IS VERY IMFORMATIVE AND VERY FUN. ASK QUESTION AS THEY TALK ABOUT THE ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES.  FIND OUT HOW JUST THE LITTLE THING WE ALL CAN DO, WILL HELP SAVE THE ENDANGERED SEA TURTLE SPECIES.

WHEAHER YOU ARE ON VACATION OR LIVING HERE, THIS WILL BE A FUN OUTING FOR ALL.

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL A THE TURTLE TALKS TOMORROW AUGUST 3rd

INVENTORY ON NMB NEST #4

On May 26th nest #4 was found and protected.  This nest is one of two that had emerged early morning hours of July 24th.  this nest had incubated for 59 days. NMB STP Volunteers, Cherie, Diane, Sandy, Erica and Brenda had found this nest. This nest had 180 eggs, a record for NMB. 1 egg was used for DNA studies.

THE NMB STP HOTLINE WAS CALLED AROUND 12:30 AM, ABOUT HATCHLINGS ON THE BEACH.  LINDA WENT RIGHT DOWN, BUT AS HATCHLINGS MAY BE TINY, THEY ARE ALSO MIGHTY AND WILL CRAWL NONSTOP UNTIL THEY REACH TO OCEAN.  ALL HATCHLINGS HAD ALREADY MADE THIER WAY TO THE OCEAN. THIS IS THE HOLE LEFT FROM THE EMERGENCE

SOME OF THE HATCHLING TRACKS LEFT AFTER THE EMERGENCE

NOW ONTO THE INVENTORTY, AS THE WIND HAS ADDED MANY INCHES OF SAND TO THE ORIGINAL NEST, LINDA HAS BEGUN DIGGING IN THE NEST UNTIL SHE REACHES THE FIRST EGG SHELL

SOME SUPRISES ARE FOUND DEEP DOWN INTO THE NEST. 8 LIVE HATCHLINGS, THAT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THIER WAY TO THE SURFACE ON THIER OWN.

THE HATCHLINGS ARE QUICKLY PUT IN A BUCKET WITH SAND UNTIL THE INVENTORY IS COMPLETE.  THEN THEY ARE RELASED TO GO INTO THE OPEN SEAS. IN THIS PICTURE YOU CAN ALSO SEE ONE UNHATCHED EGG SHELL AND AN EMPTY EGSHELL.

ALSO FOUND IN THIS NEST WAS A PIPPED EGG WHICH CONTAINED A VERY RARE TWO HEADED HATCHLING, THERE ARE TWO FRONT FLIPPERS AND TWO BACK FLIPPERS, BUT TWO HEADS, UNFORTUNATELY IT HAD DIED BEFORE EMERGING.

PLASTRON (UNDERNEATH) OF THE TWO HEADED HATCHLING WITH SOME OF THE YOLK SAC

 

THIS WAS A GREAT INVENTORY AS MANY HAD COME TO SEE AND HAD MANY QUESTIONS FOR THE NMB STP VOLUNTEERS. THEY ESTIMATED 100 PLUS PEOPLE WERE THERE.  NMB STP VOLUNTEERS WENT AROUND WITH THE HATCHLINGS, A UNHATCHED EGG AND EMPTY SHELL, AND THE TWO HEADED DECECEASED HATCHLING WHILE THE INVENTORY WAS BEING DONE, ALL VERY RESPECTFUL TALKING TO THE MANY NMB STP VOLUNTEERS. ONCE THIS NEST IS INVENTORIED LINDA SHARES THE RESULTS.

  

PAGE IS LOVING THE EXCITMENT FROM THE LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO THE INVENTORY.

LEIGH BRINGING THE TWO HEADED HATCHLING AROUND SO THE SPECTATORS CAN LOOK AT THIS, AS THIS IS VERY RARE TO HAVE.

DON AND CHUCK SHARING THE TWO HEADED DEAD HATCHLING WITH THE BYSTANDERS AND STP VOLUNTEERS ALIKE.

MANY SPECTATORS AND NMB VOLUNTEERS LINE UP A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY ON EACH SIDE AND IN BACK OF HATCHLINGS ENSURING NO ONE IS NEAR THE HATCHLINGS AS THEY START THIER JOURNEY OF LIFE OUT TO SEA.

ITS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THESE HACHLING TO MAKE IT TO THE OCEAN ON THIER OWN. PLEASE NEVER PICK UP A HATCHLING AND PUT IT INTO THE OCEAN.

ALMOST THERE!

OK I GOT THIS! ONE FLIPPER AND I AM THERE.

THE END RESULT OF THIS LARGE NEST

89.4 % Hatch success rate

160 eggs hatched

19 unhatched eggs: out of these 19 eggs

   6 were piped, out of the piped eggs one contained a two headed hatchling, one egg contained two               separate hatchlings, could be twins?

    13 appeared to die in early development

8 live hatchlings were found and released on the beach.

 THE DNA RESULTS ARE IN. HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THIS MOTHER

2011 was the first recorded nest from this nesting mother, she had 3 documented nests, one in NMB

She nested every 2 years until 2019, mainly on NMB, 3 to 5 nest each nesting year.

In 2020 she nested on Waties two times before coming back to NMB for her third nest.

Another 2 years between last nesting and 2022, this is her first documented nest of 2022, 

All Sea Turtles are endangered, they are federally, and state protected, special guidelines, training and permits are required to work with nesting Sea Turtles, nest, eggs, hatchlings and strandings.

If you see a Nesting Sea Turtle, Hatchlings, or a stranded Sea Turtle in NMB or Briarcliffe, please call

The NMB STP Hotline

843-317-9074

Any time day or night