Inventory of Nest #14, 47th Ave S, Windy Hill!

Beach Service's employee, Will was setting up his chair line when he noticed the tracks in the sand.  Turtle Crawl?

Quick call to NMB Sea Turtle Patrol.

Bruce and Will helped Linda locate the egg cavity.  Nest #14, 47th Ave S, Windy Hill!!

Mark and crew quickly brought poles and rope and the nest was marked and protected.

This nest was located in front of a large condo complex and was surrounded on either side by two more large complexes.  Why and how the mother crawled ashore undetected is a mystery.

Thursday night, Sept 1, sand falls, large hole appears. Day 53.   High Tide, water line is way up the beach.   Just after 11PM, the nest boils and the hatchlings run to the ocean.  

4 days later, Monday, Sept 5, hole is filling up with sand and quickly disappearing.

Nest is dug up and contents inventoried.  Two of the NMB Sea Turtle Patrol younger members, Savannah and Jack ask if they can help.

Shallow nest, the eggs were quickly found.

 Any more eggs?

Only one unhatched egg was found in the nest.

When opened, a fully developed turtle was found.  For some reason it died before hatching.

Notice how it surrounds it's yolk sac.

Thank you all who helped with this nest. Will and Bruce from Beach Services, the rest of the Beach Services crew who helped Linda put up the poles and ropes.  Jay who volunteer to watch this nest while most of us were occupied with other nests.  The volunteers who were at the nest when the hatchlings emerged.  We expected the worse, this nest was surrounded by the biggest high rise complexes in NMB, but we got the best....the hatchlings went straight into the water.  And all of the volunteers, especially Denise, Meredith, Savannah and Jack who helped with the inventory.

Thank you Julie for your great pictures!

Inventory:

Nest was found on Sunday, July 10

Natural nest high up the beach, close to the dunes

Nest emerged on September 1.. Day.. 53.. Just after 11PM.. High Tide

Inventory on Sept. 5

1 egg taken for DNA Study on July 11

105 eggs found in nest

104 hatched egg

1 unhatched egg, died in late development

106 eggs total

99% hatchling success rate!!