INVENTORY ON NMB NEST #4

On May 26th nest #4 was found and protected.  This nest is one of two that had emerged early morning hours of July 24th.  this nest had incubated for 59 days. NMB STP Volunteers, Cherie, Diane, Sandy, Erica and Brenda had found this nest. This nest had 180 eggs, a record for NMB. 1 egg was used for DNA studies.

THE NMB STP HOTLINE WAS CALLED AROUND 12:30 AM, ABOUT HATCHLINGS ON THE BEACH.  LINDA WENT RIGHT DOWN, BUT AS HATCHLINGS MAY BE TINY, THEY ARE ALSO MIGHTY AND WILL CRAWL NONSTOP UNTIL THEY REACH TO OCEAN.  ALL HATCHLINGS HAD ALREADY MADE THIER WAY TO THE OCEAN. THIS IS THE HOLE LEFT FROM THE EMERGENCE

SOME OF THE HATCHLING TRACKS LEFT AFTER THE EMERGENCE

NOW ONTO THE INVENTORTY, AS THE WIND HAS ADDED MANY INCHES OF SAND TO THE ORIGINAL NEST, LINDA HAS BEGUN DIGGING IN THE NEST UNTIL SHE REACHES THE FIRST EGG SHELL

SOME SUPRISES ARE FOUND DEEP DOWN INTO THE NEST. 8 LIVE HATCHLINGS, THAT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THIER WAY TO THE SURFACE ON THIER OWN.

THE HATCHLINGS ARE QUICKLY PUT IN A BUCKET WITH SAND UNTIL THE INVENTORY IS COMPLETE.  THEN THEY ARE RELASED TO GO INTO THE OPEN SEAS. IN THIS PICTURE YOU CAN ALSO SEE ONE UNHATCHED EGG SHELL AND AN EMPTY EGSHELL.

ALSO FOUND IN THIS NEST WAS A PIPPED EGG WHICH CONTAINED A VERY RARE TWO HEADED HATCHLING, THERE ARE TWO FRONT FLIPPERS AND TWO BACK FLIPPERS, BUT TWO HEADS, UNFORTUNATELY IT HAD DIED BEFORE EMERGING.

PLASTRON (UNDERNEATH) OF THE TWO HEADED HATCHLING WITH SOME OF THE YOLK SAC

 

THIS WAS A GREAT INVENTORY AS MANY HAD COME TO SEE AND HAD MANY QUESTIONS FOR THE NMB STP VOLUNTEERS. THEY ESTIMATED 100 PLUS PEOPLE WERE THERE.  NMB STP VOLUNTEERS WENT AROUND WITH THE HATCHLINGS, A UNHATCHED EGG AND EMPTY SHELL, AND THE TWO HEADED DECECEASED HATCHLING WHILE THE INVENTORY WAS BEING DONE, ALL VERY RESPECTFUL TALKING TO THE MANY NMB STP VOLUNTEERS. ONCE THIS NEST IS INVENTORIED LINDA SHARES THE RESULTS.

  

PAGE IS LOVING THE EXCITMENT FROM THE LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO THE INVENTORY.

LEIGH BRINGING THE TWO HEADED HATCHLING AROUND SO THE SPECTATORS CAN LOOK AT THIS, AS THIS IS VERY RARE TO HAVE.

DON AND CHUCK SHARING THE TWO HEADED DEAD HATCHLING WITH THE BYSTANDERS AND STP VOLUNTEERS ALIKE.

MANY SPECTATORS AND NMB VOLUNTEERS LINE UP A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY ON EACH SIDE AND IN BACK OF HATCHLINGS ENSURING NO ONE IS NEAR THE HATCHLINGS AS THEY START THIER JOURNEY OF LIFE OUT TO SEA.

ITS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THESE HACHLING TO MAKE IT TO THE OCEAN ON THIER OWN. PLEASE NEVER PICK UP A HATCHLING AND PUT IT INTO THE OCEAN.

ALMOST THERE!

OK I GOT THIS! ONE FLIPPER AND I AM THERE.

THE END RESULT OF THIS LARGE NEST

89.4 % Hatch success rate

160 eggs hatched

19 unhatched eggs: out of these 19 eggs

   6 were piped, out of the piped eggs one contained a two headed hatchling, one egg contained two               separate hatchlings, could be twins?

    13 appeared to die in early development

8 live hatchlings were found and released on the beach.

 THE DNA RESULTS ARE IN. HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THIS MOTHER

2011 was the first recorded nest from this nesting mother, she had 3 documented nests, one in NMB

She nested every 2 years until 2019, mainly on NMB, 3 to 5 nest each nesting year.

In 2020 she nested on Waties two times before coming back to NMB for her third nest.

Another 2 years between last nesting and 2022, this is her first documented nest of 2022, 

All Sea Turtles are endangered, they are federally, and state protected, special guidelines, training and permits are required to work with nesting Sea Turtles, nest, eggs, hatchlings and strandings.

If you see a Nesting Sea Turtle, Hatchlings, or a stranded Sea Turtle in NMB or Briarcliffe, please call

The NMB STP Hotline

843-317-9074

Any time day or night