Sea turtles have played an important role in South Carolina history and culture. Locally, the loggerhead has been the key sea turtle nesting on our beaches and swimming our waters, though there are many other species that wander through our area. Learn about their habits, hear about amazing rehabilitation efforts in our Sea Turtle Hospital and find out what you can do to help these magnificent creatures survive.
Sea turtles share beaches with us. Each year between April and September, female sea turtles struggle onto land to lay their eggs in the dunes behind beaches. The increased development and use of beaches by people in the last few decades has resulted in a decline in sea turtles nests.
Thousands of local volunteers scope the beaches each day looking for signs of turtle nests. Together with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources nest protections program, more than 20 turtle teams look for signs of nests and gather information to determine the nesting habits of loggerheads and estimate how the sea turtle population is doing in South Carolina.
Through the use of satellite tags, scientists have been tracking sea turtles off the coast of South Carolina. They have found that turtles in the southeast Atlantic coast often stay close to the shore, searching for food, shelter and a mate. These essential components are often found on or around reefs and wrecks scattered around the ocean floor. Here are some examples of routes a loggerhead might take.
For more information on sea turtle in-water research, see the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources website >>
Image courtesy of Terry Manier
You might see an orange sign like this up in the dunes marking a nest. Be sure not to get too close! Under the sand there might be about 120 turtle eggs the size of ping-pong balls waiting to hatch.
