Happy Sea Turtle Week

TODAY JUNE 12TH IS LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE DAY

A few fun facts, and stories about loggerhead Sea Turtles

Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) are the state reptile of South Carolina.  They are the most common of the Sea Turtles to nest in South Carolina. Loggerheads get their name from their massive heads and powerful jaws that are used to crush hard shelled prey, such as crustations, conch and welks and they also love to eat jelly fish. An adult Loggerhead will weigh around 300 lbs. and sometimes up to 350 lbs.  

It takes Loggerhead Sea Turtles 20 to 30 Years to reach adulthood.  Many unknowns can happen to these Turtles during these many years. Every hatchling that makes it out safely of the protected nest to the oceans and every stranded sea turtle that is saved increase the odds to save the endangered Sea Turtle Species. It is estimated that 1 in every 1000 hatchlings make it to adulthood.  Allot of things are beyond our control, as they live their lives in the ocean, but the ones where human interactions are involved can be . It is so important to Leave Sea Turtles alone so they have every chance to survive.

This is an example of an adult nesting Loggerhead from last year that had unfortunately been followed during the night and scared into a pool area and trapped.  It wasn't until the morning hours that someone called the NMB STP Hotline where they were able help her back to the ocean.

Once Sea Turtle Hatchlings are ready to leave their nest, they typically will all work together, climbing to just under the surface. They will then do what is called a boil and all climb out and make a dash for the ocean, making a V shape as they spread out headed to the ocean.  This will help the survival in case there are predators on land and ocean.

This Loggerhead Sea Turtle Hatchling was discovered buried deep in the nest during an inventory of a nest that had already boiled from last year. There would have been little chance that this hatchling would have been able to make it out of the nest on its own. Following federal and state guidelines, and permits he is put on the sand to make his way to the ocean.  Could he/she be one the 1 in 1000 that will make it to adulthood, we will never know, but it could be.

Many may wonder how you know when a Sea Turtle is male or female. There is no way to tell until they reach adulthood, or if a necropsy is done on a deceased juvenile Sea Turtle.

Temperatures in the nest during the middle third of the incubation process will determine if the hatchlings will be female or male. Warmer the sand during incubation will likely produce female hatchlings, while cooler sand will produce more males. Sand temperatures around 29.6C degrees will produce about half male and half female. 

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, hatchlings and stranded Sea Turtles.

If you are in the NMB or Briarcliffe areas and see a nesting Sea Turtle, hatchlings or stranding, please call the NMB STP Hotline.

NMB STP Hotline

843-213-9074

ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHT