Inventory of MB7, a relocated nest from Myrtle Beach

On June 15th at the request of MB, Joe and Linda made the trek down to the northern end of Myrtle Beach and brought back 134 eggs laid that morning.  The eggs were relocated to 50th Ave N, Cherry Grove Section of NMB.

Early Wednesday morning, August 14th, day 60 of incubaation the hatchings emerged during the heavy rains and race straight to the ocean.

Next morning all that remained was a deep hole in the egg chamber and faint tracks going to the High Tide Line.

Inventory was conducted on Saturday, August 17th.  Neal had helped transferr the eggs to their new hole in Cherry Grove so was anxious to see the results of his work.

Crowd starts to gather

 Linda and Neal start to dig up the egg chamber

We have egg shells!!!

One live hatchling found among the egg shells,  then another

Eggs shells start to mount up

125 hatched eggs, 9 unhatched or whole eggs

Time to open the whole eggs.....open away from us!!

Empty egg cavity 

Yes, we have 2 hatchlings ready for release into the ocean

Time to release hatchings on the beach for their run to the ocean

We have a race..... 

Do I have to go in there?

Please do not release balloons into the air...what goes up, must come down.  Very harmful to the sea turtles as well as other wildlife!

Inventory results:

135 eggs laid on Myrtle Beach on June 15th, 134 relocated to 50th Ave N, NMB, 1 egg used for DNA Study

Hatchlings emerged on Wednesday morning, August 14th, Day 60

125 Hatched eggs

9 unhatched or whole eggs

2 live hatchlings at bottom of egg chamber

0 dead hatchlings

0 times over-washed

93% Hatchling success rate

A big thanks to Joe for helping relocate the nest that morning.  And a big thanks to Neal and all the other NMB STP Volunteers who helped once the eggs were in NMB

Thank you Donna for being nest leader and looking over these eggs.  Donna discovered the emergence when she checked the nest at 6:00AM

Thank you Jill and Julie for your pictures!