NEST #6!!!

NMB Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteer, Margaret called around 9PM, Thursday night.  Visiting family members were walking on the beach and saw a Loggerhead nesting.  Linda arrived on the scene just as the turtle was finishing and returning to the ocean.  The body pit was quickly marked off to alert any night time and early morning beach traffic of the nest. This turtle had an audience, but everyone appeared to be respectful and though curious, seemed to let her nest in peace.  It was early when she came ashore, around 8:30PM on the rising tide.  The full moon was just rising over the ocean, a beautiful reddish color. The female turtle was quickly named Luna.   She was on shore just over an hour, choosing her nesting spot just above the high tide line.  It was a good thing that this activity was reported, by morning the high tide and the people watching her nest had erased all tracks.

The body pit was probed and the egg cavity quickly found.

The nest was located on a wide, busy beach.  It was decided to move the eggs further back, closer to the dunes.

116 eggs later, the original egg chamber is empty.

One egg is taken for the DNA Study.

Holt was a big helper,  again keeping track of that DNA egg.

Eggs relocated, nest protection was quickly installed.

Several NMB Visitors who had observed the turtle nesting, came back early in the morning to see the eggs and nest relocation.  Thank you so much! 

North Myrtle Beach Nest #6!!

Thanks to all the people who observed this turtle nesting, watched quietly and left her alone. 

Thanks to the great NMB Sea Turtle Volunteers who came early this morning to help relocate the nest.

It was a busy morning for the Patrol, this was the first of two nest.