2020 Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins with High Drama

Lynne Sager with the First Nest of 2020 on May 4 at Kiawah Island

The Sea Turtle nesting season officially starts on May 1, and just like clockwork the first loggerhead turtle nest of 2020 arrived before dawn on May 1. This first sea turtle nest was located on Lighthouse Island in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. The second sea turtle nest located in South Carolina was found on Hilton Head Island on May 3, with a third sea turtle nest at Kiawah Island on May 4. After a record number of sea turtle nests found in South Carolina for 2019, hopes are high for another successful season in 2020.

The sea turtle patrol volunteers up and down the entire South Carolina coast were not officially permitted to monitor for sea turtle nests until less than 48 hours before the sun rise on May 1. Executive orders from Governor Henry McMaster related to the coronavirus pandemic, included a reduction of operations at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. With SCDNR staff sequestered and working from home, they were not able to grant the permit necessary to begin sea turtle nest monitoring. 

Fresh sea turtle tracks are now appearing in May 2020 in S.C.

The morning of April 29 arrived and many volunteers began posting comments on FaceBook to raise awareness about the issue. Comments stating that volunteers were not able to even mark the location of an obvious sea turtle nest without a permit seemed contrary to common sense and the proven good intentions and positive results from this type of conservation work. The first sea turtle nest found in Georgia came on April 25, demonstrating that our neighboring state had no permit restrictions in place.

Given that understanding that the response to the coronavirus will continue to evolve as it concerns outdoor activities, with social distancing being the main requirement, sea turtle monitoring activities seem like a safe option. A team of two volunteers can walk a certain section of beach, are always able to maintain a 6-foot distance apart when on patrol and during the marking of any sea turtle nest. The army of turtle ladies (and men) who volunteer to walk the beach at dawn each day were naturally relieved to learn the news on the afternoon of April 29 that the SCDNR permit for 2020 would now be granted.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about sea turtles click on 2019 Kiawah Record Nesting Totals -  2019 Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins- SCDNR Sea Turtle Trawl - TurtleFest at Edisto Beach State Park - Seabrook Turtle Patrol - Leatherback Sighting - World Sea Turtle Day - SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Release