Inventory of NMB Nest #2

NMB Nest #2....the mother was seen laying her eggs around 10PM by two different groups walking the beach after 10PM......Mother chose a spot just north of the Prince Resort and Cherry Grove Pier in Cherry Grove.  She was hiding a little bit behind a garbage can.  Kasey and Megan from St. Louis quickly asked everyone around to turn off lights and stop taking flash pictures....STP Volunteer John arrived on the scene and took a couple of infrared pictures as the mother was heading back into the ocean.

54 days later, hatchlings emerged around 10PM and ran straight to the ocean.  Megan and Kasey had returned from St Louis in hopes of being in NMB for this event.   Inventory was conducted by NMB STP Volunteer Rob with Megan's help.

Crowd starts to gather

Megan and Kasey interviewed by the Myrtle Beach Sun News

This poor guy never made it out of the egg.....Died late development, yolk sac still attached

Sorting the eggs

Showing what the egg shells look like

Whole or unhatched eggs

 Still runny yolk when this unhatched egg is opened

2015 NMB Sea Turtle Patrol

Inventory Results:

164 eggs in original nest,  2 eggs were broken and used for DNA

162 eggs relocated to 43rd Ave N, above the Spring HTL

147 hatched eggs, 15 whole or unhatched of which 9 eggs appeared to be infertile, 5 eggs 

collapsed, died early development, 1 egg died in late development, turtle large and fully formed.

90.7 hatching success rate

Thank you Julie and Mary for the pictures.