NMB STP SEA TURTLE NEST # 17

 This nest was a very unusual, and disheartening rescue and nest. While this Sea Turtle was successfully rescued by the NMB STP and other helpful people willing to just jump in and help, after being trapped for several hours by a pool deck, being carried to the beach and was able to crawl back into the ocean and on her way. While the joy of seeing this Sea Turtle successfully return to her home in the open Sea, was in all accounts great, and that feeling is hard to fully express. 

But the sad part of this, is what this poor mother went through while trying to nest and then being trapped into the morning hours. (From all accounts of people who had been around during some point during this nesting process). There were probably many bright lights on her and was being chased and harassed.   While this is not only illegal as all Sea Turtles are endangered and federally and state protected, but also incomprehensible, hard to imagine that people could actually do this to this already frightened Mother Sea Turtle.  Despite  all of this, she had done her very important job of nesting, unfortunate we do not know if she was able to finish laying all of her eggs as one broken egg was found under a chair at the pool deck when she was found in the morning by residence that had first spotted her trapped near the pool deck, and immediately called the NMB STP Hotline, Many thanks to all the people calling this Endanger Sea Turtle in and helping with this early morning rescue. 

A very poor hatch success rate of 46.5%. One has to wonder if the stress of this poor Sea turtle while she was trying to nest had an effect on the hatch rate of this Endangered Sea Turtle nest? Was she even able to finish nesting as this was a very small nest and one egg was found broken far away from where she had nested, where she was trapped for the night, or was there something else unknown to us. Also, we do not know what effected this horrendous night into the mornings stress may play in her health, we may never have answers to these questions.  PLEASE IF YOU EVER SEE A SEA TURTLE NESTING, LET HER NEST IN PEACE, AS NATURE INTEDED.  Every Sea Turtle, every nest and egg could mean the survival of the beautiful, endangered Sea Turtle Species

 THIS SEA TURTLE HAD BEEN TRAPPED THOUGH THE LONG HOURS OF THE NIGHT

THE NMB STP HAS A SPECIALLY DESIGNED CARRIER TO CARRY THIS VERY HEAVY 

LOGGERHEAD UP THE STAIRS AND INTO THE BEACH CLOSE TO THE WATER.

THE LAST FEW CRAWLS, BACK INTO THE OCEAN, AFTER A TERRIFIEYING NIGHT OF NESTING AND BEING TRAPPED, AFTER FALLING OR CRAWLING DOWN 3 STEPS.

THE NEST HAD 87 EGGS AND ONE BROKEN FOUND BY THE POOL DECK, THAT WAS USED FOR DNA STUDIES.  THIS NEST INCUBATED FOR 54 DAYS.

 ONE LIVE HATCHLING WAS FOUND IN THIS NEST

MANY NMB STP PATROL MEMBERS HAVE COME TO HELP, AND MANY SHARING THIER PASSION AND KNOWLEGE WITH ALL THAT HAVE COME TO THIS INVENTORY.

THE HATCHED AND UNHATCHED EGGS FROM THE INVENTORY

There were 87 eggs from this mother

46.5% hatch success hatch rate.

86 eggs

40 hatched eggs

46 whole eggs

   2 of these eggs were pipped (Hatchlings died before leaving the shell)

   8 eggs were very white and round, one of these, were 1/2 white and 1/2 discolored.

   36 eggs discolored and collapsed (died in early development)

1 live hatchling

All Sea Turtles are endangered, they are federally, and state protected.  Special guidelines, training and permits are needed to work with all Sea turtles, nest, eggs and hatchlings.

If you see a Hatchling, or a stranded Sea Turtle in NMB or Briarcliffe please call the NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

any time day or night