INVENTORY AND RESULTS ON LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE NEST # 2 IN NMB

 ON TUESDAY NEST # 2 WAS INVENTORIED.  HERE IS A QUICK RECAP ON THIS NEST; THIS NEST WAS FOUND ON MAY 11th.

154 EGGS, 1 USED FOR DNA STUDIES

  

AFTER INCUBATING FOR 65 DAYS, THE HATCHLINGS EMERGED AND MADE IT TO THE OCEAN. THERE WERE A COUPLE STRAGLERS THAT CAME OUT AND MADE IT TO THE OCEAN IN BETWEEN THE EMEGENCE AND INVENTORY.  IN THIS PICTURE YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE BOTH HATCHLING AND GHOST CRAB TRACKS.

AND NOW THE INVENTORY BEGINS, THE NEST IS CAREFULLY DUG UP .

THE WIND HAD BLOWN ALLOT OF ADDED SAND ON TOP OF THE ORIGINAL NEST.

MANY OF THE NMB STP VOLUNTEERS CAME  TO HELP AT THE INVENTORY.  PART OF THEIR JOB IS TO TALK  TO THE VERY EXCITED GROUP OF CURIOUS SPECTATORS THAT CAME TO WATCH

MARY TAKES ONE OF THE UNHATCHED EGGS, TO SHOW WHAT A SEA TURTLE EGG LOOKS LKE 

EGGS AND EGGSHELLS  ARE CAREFULLY COUNTED AND DOCUMENTED.  HOW MANY EGGS HATCHED AND IF THEY DID NOT HATCH, WHAT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT THEY ARE IN WHEN THEY DIED.

 

 NOW HERE IS THE EXCTING PART OF THE INVENTORY: THE RESULTS

90.8% HATCH RATE SUCCESS

139 HATCHED EGGS.  

14 WHOLE OR UNHATCHED EGGS AMONG THESE 12 WERE COLLAPSED AND DISCOLORD, INDICATING THAT THEY DIED IN EARY DEVELOPMENT. 2 HAD CONTAINED DEVELOPING HATCHLINGS.

NO LIVE HATCHLINGS

NO DEAD HATCHLINGS

MORE EXCITING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS NESTING MOTHER

We are fortunate, because the DNA results for this Loggerhead Sea Turtle are already in for this nest:  What we know from the results are that she started nesting in 2010 and nested every 3 years until 2018, when she started nesting every 2 years.  The DNA showed she nested in Oak Island or Holden Beach up until this year when she Nested in NMB , NEST # 2.  As Sea Turtles are still nesting, and DNA results are ongoing, we do not have more information on where and if she has nested again, and how many times she may have nested again.

If you see a nesting Sea Turtle Mother or stranding in NMB or Briarcliffe please call

The NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

ANY TIME DAY OR NIGHT