Briarcliffe false crawl #2 and protected Loggerhead nest #3

 Briarcliffe has had its second false crawl.  Looking at the crawl, reading the signs, the Briarcliffe STP Volunteers can see this nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtle may have attempted to dig an egg chamber in one spot, then crawled up a little further checking out the sand there. 

The crawl was almost the same length coming in as it was returning to the ocean, Probing was done just to make sure this Nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtle hadn't nested.  Both areas were probed and checked out, but no eggs were found, making this false crawl #2.

But the very next day would be a different story, Horry County Sanitation had notified Cindy in the very early morning hours of a nesting Sea Turtle, Cindy and the very excited Briarcliffe STP Volunteers were on their way as soon as it was light enough to go out.

Now the light is coming up and this is what Briarcliffe STP Volunteers found. a beautiful long incoming and outgoing crawl. 

Just what the excited Briarcliffe STP Volunteers were hoping for, a beautiful and promising body pit (nest) right up into the dunes. The Briarcliffe STP Volunteers are seeing signs of thrown sand, she will do this using her flippers as a way to disguise and cover up the evidence that she has laid eggs. This would be her final step once she has buried her eggs and headed back out to the ocean. 

The Briarcliffe STP Volunteers will study the crawl, looking at the incoming and outgoing crawl, as they do, they discover this Loggerhead had nested then crawled up over the dunes to the other side a short distance, turned back around and came back down returning to the ocean.

Studying the body pit for clues as to where this Endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle may have laid her eggs. Probing is done to search for the eggs and were easily found. This mother knew just the right spot to nest, so this nest will stay in-situ, left just where it was laid.

One egg will be used for DNA studies, as Sea Turtles spend their entire lives in the Ocean only coming to shore to nest or injured and need of help.  This critical information will be shared in a data base to get the much-needed data and information on the endangered Sea Turtles to help in the conservation and survival of the Sea Turtle Species.

Poles and rope are put around the egg chamber and a sign indicating that this is an Endangered Sea Turtle nest.  Great day for Briarcliffe STP Volunteers

All Sea Turtles are Endangered, they are state and federally protected.  Special training, guidelines 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 area, please call the NMB STP Hotline

NMB STP HOTLINE

843-213-9074

ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHT