NORTH MYRTLE BEACH SEA TURTLE PATROL: May Nests

The 2017 Sea Turtle nesting season started early. First nest in SC was reported at the end of April in the Isle of Palm.

First nest on NMB was located at 13th Ave North by the Friday walkers on May 19. 109 eggs, 108 moved directly back, out of the middle of the beach to the base of the dunes. NMB #1

The hatchlings emerged 63 days later. Of the 109, 1 egg used for DNA, 9 eggs did not hatch, 100 hatched eggs. One live hatchling was found in the nest during the inventory, released on the beach.

110 eggs, 109 moved back to the dunes

Hatchlings emerged on July 21

100 hatched eggs, 9 unhatched

1 live hatchlings

1 live hatchling emerged on own before inventory

91.7% Hatch Success Rate

NMB Nest # 2 was found just two days later on May 21st. Original nest was found at 7th Ave S, relocated to a quieter location at 9th Ave S. 103 eggs, 3 eggs were broken so 100 eggs moved to 9th Ave S. This nest gave us fits, no evidence of an emergence was ever seen so per DNR Guidelines, the egg chamber was dug into on day 70 of incubation. Expecting to find either empty shells , whole unhatched shells or even dead hatchlings, it was a big surprised to find a hard pack sand shelve about 10 inches down into hole. Once this shelve was broken, sand fell into an air pocket and then about 6 inches under the void, a pile of live hatchlings, all eager to get out were found. 88 live hatchlings were pulled from the egg chamber and released on the beach.

103 eggs, 100 eggs relocated

92 hatched eggs, 8 unhatched

88 live hatchlings released on the beach

92.7% Hatch Success Rate

On May 22 the third crawl and nest was found at 15th Ave S. A large nest, 165 eggs, 162 moved to 10th Ave N. NMB Nest #3....An exciting emergence, most of the hatchlings emerged just as dark was falling 61 days later.

165 eggs, 162 relocated to 10th Ave N

Hatchlings emerged on July 22

130 hatched, 32 whole eggs

1 live hatchling 2 dead hatchlings

80.24% Hatch Success Rate

Last nest found in May was on May 29th. Crawl up the beach to the top of a low dune at 21st Ave N. Sand on dune was very hard, the mother was unable to dig a very good egg chamber, most eggs were found just under a thin layer of sand. 135 eggs, 132 eggs moved to 17th Ave N. 122 eggs hatched, 15 hatchlings were freed at inventory and crawled to ocean. NMB Nest #4

135 eggs, 132 relocated to 17th Ave N

Hatchlings emerged on July 22

122 Hatched eggs, 10 whole eggs

15 live hatchlings, released on beach, 3 dead hatchlings

92.4% Hatch Success Rate

May ended with a mystery. Paul, Sandy and Joann come across a beautiful crawl at 13th Ave N. Sure looked like a nest, but part of the lower track was missing from, erased by foot traffic either during the night or at the time the turtle was nesting. Desite probing for over an hour, no eggs were found. This crawl was declared a fals crawl, possible nest.

Fast forward to Aug 2, Paul, Sandy and Joann are again walking the beach, checking for tracks and making sure all is well with marked nests, when Paul spies on lone track, following a saniation tire truck track down the beach, paraell to the ocean. Intrigued, he follows the track for a coupld of blocks, ending a another tire track in the middle of the beach, a depression with many hatchlings tracks coming out and down to the water.......mystery solved, false crawl has turned into NMB Nest #21!!!

Nest is marked and protected, inventory is conducted 3 days later. Because this nest was located in the middle of the beach and subject to lots of traffic during the incubation period, both foot and vehicle, sand is tightly packed, haard to dig into. Hatchlings are immediately found, wedged into the tight sand, some at top of hole, some in middle, some at the bottom. 28 hatchlings are freed from the sand and released on the beach.