Inventory of Briarcliffe #4

Horry County Sanitation came across the nesting turtle around mid-night on July 2 as she laid her eggs close to the swash separating Briarcliffe from NMB.  Briarcliffe Volunteers were notified and they were on the scene early the next morning.  131 were found in the egg chamber, 130 eggs were moved up into the dunes further south on the beach, away from the swash, 1 egg used for DNA.   

49 days later, hatchlings emerge, all run toward the ocean.

Nest is inventoried on August 23rd.   The dunes on this beach were bady eroded during the storms and King Tides, Fall of 2015.  Sand has been building up along and on top of the dunes all summer.

egg cavity is surrounded by vegatation

Crowd gathers

Larry talks to crowd, giving history of the nest and

what to expect

This little girl is eager to help

Larry invites all kids up to watch

Hole is very deep, lots of sand build up

Empty egg shells begin piling up

3 dead hatchlings are found

Finally bottom of the egg chamber is found

all shells have been removed

Kids take turn inside hole to show how deep

Inventory is finished, time to 

put empty shells back into hole

and cover it up

Work is done for the evening

Protecting the new dunes around the remaining nest

Sand is building up, but soft and easily destroyed by people climbing up the dunes to see nests

Briarcliffe Nest #4

132 eggs in original nest

131 relocated further south on beach

1 egg for DNA

Nest incubated for 49 days. emerging on Aug. 20th

130 hatched shells

1 whole or unhatched egg

3 dead hatchlings, 0 live hatchlings found in nest

99.24% hatching success rate!!!