NMB Protected Endangered Sea Turtle Nest #10

 The NMB STP Volunteers husband and wife have just started their walks, and to their excitement they have found an Endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle crawl and body pit (nest).  As they follow the crawl, they see a body pit but there are tire tracks running right through it. 

One Volunteer will stay at the nest to make sure nothing else happens to this potential nest. Her partner will finish walking the rest of the segment they cover, Other NMB STP volunteers are also out walking at this time as you never know, you could have no turtle activity or multiple nesting activity's.  Other NMB STP Volunteers are soon there to help.

Part of the beautiful Endangered Sea Turtle Crawl

This Body pit is quite long and with the tire tracks running through the body pit, it will be hard to find eggs. Probing is done while anxious Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteers wait to see if an egg chamber will be found. Almost the entire body pit was probed before finding the egg chamber which was sadly found right under the tire tracks.

All are allowed to look at the eggs in the egg chamber before they are safely relocated, as this nest is the middle of a high traffic area with many lights.

92 eggs are found

Once the eggs are safely relocated a cage is put around the eggs and poles and rope with a sign indicating this is a protected Endangered Sea Turtle nest.

One egg from this nest will be used for DNA studies, this will be shared in a data base to help learn more about the Endangered Sea Turtle species.  Just the outer shell is used as this contains just the mothers DNA. 

NMB STP Protected Loggerhead nest #10

All Sea Turtles are endangered and they are federally, and state protected. Special guidelines training and permits are required to work with Nesting Sea Turtles, nest, hatchlings and stranded Sea Turtles.

If you encounter a Sea Turtle in NMB or Briarcliffe areas, please call the NMB STP Hotline

NMB STP HOTLINE

843-213-9074

ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHT