On Wednesday morning, a rare sight was seen along the beach on Hilton Head Island. It was a rare Green sea turtle making its way back to the ocean in the wee hours of the morning, according to a report by WJCL News.
That means it must’ve laid a nest. Only the fourth time a Green turtle nest has ever been recorded as happening on Hilton Head Island.
According to the Sea Turtle Patrol of Hilton Head Island’s Facebook page, the search for a nest started the moment the Green sea turtle was seen leaving the beach. After a short time, the nest was found.
According to the WJCL report, sadly, the turtle most likely had some trouble making her way through the beach to find a suitable nesting spot, as the beach was strewn with obstacles including tents, trash and even a boat.
The Green turtle is the second-largest sea turtle species, behind the enormous Leatherbacks, and the shell of the one seen on Wednesday was reportedly measured to be about 4 feet long and 3 1/2 feet wide.
Usually always nesting in Florida, Green turtles dig deeper than loggerhead sea turtles and their eggs are also larger than their more common cousins’. The turtle’s eggs will incubate for 60 days just like all other species, and it can be expected that the Green turtle nest will erupt with hatchlings stumbling their way toward the Atlantic Ocean sometime early this September.
Wednesday morning’s rarity comes on the heels of another very rare sea turtle moment on a Beaufort County Beach.
In April, a rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nested on a Hilton Head beach and its hatchlings emerged on June 27th, and made their cute little scramble to the ocean.
The Kemp’s ridley nest was only the 4th one ever recorded in all of South Carolina.
Sea Turtle Nesting Season Reminders
- Report all sick/injured/dead sea turtles and nest disturbances to the SCDNR at 1-800-922-5431 so that staff/volunteers can respond as soon as possible.
- Respect boating laws and boat cautiously, especially in small tidal creeks where sea turtles like to feed. Boat strikes have emerged as the leading cause of death for sea turtles in South Carolina.
- Keep artificial lights off the beach at night during nesting season – this includes beachfront property lights and flash photography, which can disorient nesting mothers and hatchlings.
- Always respect sea turtles by observing them from a distance on the beach. Individuals that violate federal law by harming or interfering with sea turtles or their nests can be subject to civil penalties of up to $25,000 and up to a year’s imprisonment.
- Keep our beaches and ocean clean by avoiding single-use plastics. Plastic bags and balloons are among the most common trash items found on South Carolina beaches and can cause injury or death when sea turtles mistake them for food.
- Promote and support the SCDNR program for continued conservation of sea turtles in South Carolina.
