INVENTORTY ON NMB NEST #10

 THIS NEST WAS FOUND AND PROTECTED ON JUNE 15th.  SUSAN, KYLE, AND RICHARD CAME ACROSS THE CRAWL ON THEIR EARLY MRONING WAL  126 EGGS IN THIS NEST, ONE WAS USED FOR DNA STUDIES.   THIS NEST INCUBATED FOR 56 DAYS. 

126 EGGS WERE IN THIS NEST

MANY NMB STP VOLUNTEERS HAVE COME TO HELP . ALL TALKING TO THE MANY BYSTANDERS THAT ARE EXCITED AND CURIOUS, MANY HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE PATROL MEMBERS. 

WHAT A NICE SURPRISE, ONE LIVE HATCHLING THAT WAS LEFT IN THE NEST .

SUSAN AND DUSTY ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR INVENTORTY HATCH RATE RESULTS

EVERYONE IS ABLE TO LOOK AT THE HATCHLING WHILE THE INVENTORY IS BEING DONE

 MANY COME TO LOOK AT THE EGG CHAMBER AND THE EGG SHELLS. 

A VERY WIDE PATH IS FORMED TO ENSURE THE HATCHLINGS MAKE IT TO THE OCEAN WITH NO INTERFERENCE FROM ANYONE, THE HATCHLINGS NEED TO MAKE THE BEGINNING OF THIER JOURNEY ON THIER OWN.

THE HATCHLINGS ARE ON THE WAY

THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN BY NMB STP VOLUNTEER JULIE BOSTIAN AND ARE COPYRIGHTED.

NOW THE INVENTORY RESULTS

126 EGGS 

92.8% hatch success rate

126 eggs 1 used for DNA studies

116 hatched eggs

9 whole or unhatched eggs, either infertile or died in early development

1 live hatchling, 0 dead hatchlings

DNA RESULTS ON THIS MOTHER SHOWED SHE LAID THIS NEST ON MAY 31st ON BRIARCLIFFE. ON JUNE 15 TH SHE LAID THIS NEST ON 8th AVE N.  AS NOT ALL DNA RESULTS ARE BACK, WE MAY HAVE MORE ON THIS PARTICULAR MOTHER AT A LATTER DATE.

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

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 WILD NEST #21

 EVEN THOUGH THE NMB STP IS OUT AT SUNRISE EVERY DAY FROM MAY 1ST UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST, EXTREME WEATHER, STORMS AND WIND CAN SOMETIMES ERASE ANY SIGNS OF A SEA TURTLE NEST. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IT IS CALLED A WILD NEST.  UNFORTUNATLY BECAUSE THIS NEST IS NOT KNOWN, THE NMB STP ARE NOT ABLE TO PROTECT THIS NEST.

NMB STP VOLUNTEER SANDY WAS OUT WALKING TUESDAY MORNING WHEN SHE SPOTTED SEVERAL DEAD HATCHLINGS ON THE BEACH, SHE  LOOKED AROUND AND SAW SOME EGGS SHELLS CLOSE TO THE HATCHLINGS, SHE EMMIDIATLY CALLED THE NMB STP HOTLINE. 

THE SITE WAS INVESTIGATED, IT WAS APPARENT A FOX HAD DUG INTO THE EGG CHAMBER AND PULLED OUT SOME EGG SHELLS.  THE NEST WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BEACH AND TIRE TRACKS FROM SANITATION COVERED UP ANY EVIDENCE OF A NEST>   LINDA PROBED THE AREA CLOSE TO THE EGG SHELLS AND FOUND THE EGG CAVITY.  A INVENTORY WAS IMMEDIAELY DONE ON THIS NEST.  

DURING THE  INVENTORY, CHUCK FINDS A VERY NICE SURPRISE, TWO LIVE HATCHLINGS, CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE EGG CHAMBER.

IN THIS WILD NEST,  ALL EGGSHELL FOUND ARE  HATCHED EGGSHELLS, NO WHOLE OR UNHATCHED, UNKNOWN IF FOX TOOK ANY WHOLE SHELLS.

THE TWO HATCHLINGS

NOW THE BEST PART, THE TWO HATCHLINGS BEGIN THIER CRAWL TO THE OPEN SEAS, 

THIS LITTLE HATCHLING IS ON ITS WAY, CLAWING OVER THE SAND AND SHELLS TO THE OCEAN

SOOOO CLOSE

OK I GOT THIS NOW!!!!!!

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

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 Dy or night

INVENTORY ON NMB NEST # 11

 THIS NEST WAS FOUND ON JUNE 16th, 134 EGGS WERE FOUND, ONE WAS USED FOR DNA STUDIES.  CANDAYCE, ADAM AND NANCY DICOVERED THIS NEST. THIS NEST INCUBATED FOR 55 DAYS. AFTER THE MAJOR EMERGENCE A COUPLE OF STRAGGLERS HAD MADE IT OUT OF THE NEST DOWN TO THE OCEAN TO START THIER JOURNING IN LIFE.  WE HOPE SOME OF THESE HATCHLINGS MAKE IT BACK TO THE BEACHES OF SC, THAT THEY WERE BORN ON, WHEN THEY MATURE IN 30-35 YEARS.

THE HOLE AND SOME OF THE HATCHLING TRACKS AFTER THE EMERGENCE

THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT THE SEA TURTLE SPECIES, NESTING ON NORTH MYRTLE BEACH.  EVERY VOLUNTEER IS EAGER TO SHARE THIER PASSION WITH EVERYONE COMING TO SEE.  SOMETIMES A HATCHLING OR MORE MAY BE TRAPPED UNDER THE DEEP SAND AND WILL BE FOUND AND RELEASED DURING THE INVENTORY.

TWO HATCHLINGS WERE FOUND UNDER THE SAND AND ARE PUT INTO A BUCKET, ALL SPECTATORES WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE WHILE THE INVENTORY IS FINISHING, THEN THEY WILL BE RELEASED ON THE SAND, WHERE THEY WILL SWIM NON-STOP UNTIL THEY REACH THE SARGASSO SEA, (THIS IS A FLOATING BED OF SEAWEED). THIS IS WHERE IT IS THOUGH THAT THEY SPEND THE FIRST FEW YEARS OF THIER LIVES. 

ARLENE AND BARBARA ARE WAITING ANXIOUSLY FOR THE INVENTORY RESULTS

BARBARA SHOWS ONE OF THE WHOLE EGGS, THEY ALSO LOOK AT THE HATCHED EGGS AND THE DEEP EGG CHAMBER.

ALL LINING UP TO FORM LINES TO ENSURE THE HATCHLINGS CAN MAKE IT TO THE OCEAN WITH NO INTERFERENCE, AND ALL CAN SEE THE INCREDIBLE HATCHLING MAKE IT TO THE OCEAN.

THESE PICTURES OF THE LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE HATCHLINGS ARE TAKEN BY NMB STP VOLUNTEER JULIE BOSTIAN AND ARE COPYRIGHTED.  THANK YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS, JULIE.

THE INVENTORY RESULTS

94 % hatch rate success

135 eggs, 1 used for DNA studies

126 hatched eggs

8 whole or unhatched, all appeared either infertile or collapsed, died in early development, 

2 live hatchlings

All Sea Turtles are endangered, they are federally protected.  special guidelines, training and permits are needed to work with Nesting mothers, nest, eggs or stranded Sea Turtles.

If you see a Nesting Sea Turtle, hatchling or standing in NMB or Briarcliffe please call 

The NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

Any time day or night

INVENTORY ON NMB SEA TURTLE NEST #12

 THIS NEST WAS LAID ON JUNE 19th, EMERGENCE WAS ON AUGUST 16TH. 149 EGGS WERE FOUND IN THIS NEST PLUS ONE TAKEN FOR DNA, 150 EGGS.  THIS NEST WAS LAID IN A SAFE SPOT, SO IT WAS LEFT IN SITU (LEFT AS IT WAS LAID.

THIS MOTHER HAD CRAWLED AROUND THE SAND FENCE ALSO BREAKING SOME OF IT WITH HER FLIPPERS AS SHE WAS NESTING.

                                                      

THIS NEST WAS LEFT IN SITU, ONLY ONE EGG WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE NEST TO USE FOR DNA STUDIES.

GETTING READY TO START THE INVENTORY

MANY VOLUNTEERS CAME TO HELP, EXCITED TO SHARE THIER PASSION AND KNOWLEDGE WITH THE MANY PEOPLE COMING TO THE INVENTORY.

THE EGGSHELLS AND UNHATCHED EGGS FROM DIGGING UP THE NEST

9 WHOLE EGGS, THAT HAD DIED IN EARLY DEVELOPMENT

MARY IS BRINGING AROUND A UNHATCHED EGG SO EVERONE CAN SEE WHAT A SEA TURTLE EGG LOOKS LIKE, THE LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE EGGS ARE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PING PONG BALL.

  THE BODY PIT AND THE EGGSHELLS

AND NOW THE GREAT INVENTORY RESULTS

94% hatch success rate

150 eggs, one used for DNA

140 hatched eggs

9 whole eggs, died in early development

no live hatchlings

no dead hatchlings

THE DNA RESULTS ARE IN ON THIS MOTHER

DNA results show that this nest was laid by the same mother as nest #4 (laid on May 26 th) this nest was NMB record nest with 180 eggs. This mother has been documented nesting in Cherry Grove since 2013, usually nesting every two years, her nest usually starts with large nest, most over 150 eggs.  in 2019 her first nest had 170 eggs.  she usually lays 4-5 nest in the years she has nested.

All Sea Turtles are endangered, they are federally, and state protected, special precautions, training and permits are required to work with nesting Mothers, hatchlings, nest, eggs and stranded Sea Turtles

If you are in NMB or Briarcliffe and see a nesting Sea Turtle or Hatching, or Stranding, please call the 

NMB Sea Turtle Hotline

843-213-9074

Any time day or night

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. DURING INVENTORY IT WAS FOUND THAT THE HATCHLINGS HAD ALREADY EMERGED, BUT  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 AROUND 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