Back in mid-July, Folly had its first recorded 4-nest morning. Those nests have all now hatched. Three, including the one in situ nest, hatched on day 48, and the fourth hatched one day later.
Hatchling tracks at Nest #37
About 16 nests are left to take the brunt of the storm surges headed for the East Coast. Will those on flat beach do better than those on dunes? The force of the waves as they hit the beach will determine whether flooding or erosion is the bigger threat to the nests that remain. Stay tuned (and keep your fingers crossed).
A new way to track turtles is one result of the genetics study that Folly Beach, as well as other SC, NC and GA beaches, have participated in this season.
The genetic analysis of one egg from each nest has produced the following tracks for turtles who nested on Folly during the past few months.
The turtle that laid Nest #3 on Folly on May 28, also laid Folly’s Nest #27 on July 2 — the two nest sites were only 4 houses apart.
May 29th’s Nest #4 momma turtle also laid a nest on Botany Bay Plantation on June 28th.
Momma turtle of Nest #5 (May 30) had also nested on Kiawah on May 17th.
While the nester for #3 and #27 definitely showed strong “site fidelity,” the other two show what researchers describe as “region fidelity.” From previous tagging studies, region fidelity is thought to be typical of loggerheads. It will be interesting to see if the genetics study continues to support that.
Also typical is an exception to “the rule,” and, typical of Folly, there is already a renegade among the ranks: the Momma turtle for Folly’s Nest #10 on June 10th laid her next nest on June 23d on Cape Lookout, NORTH Carolina. Her nests are 243 miles apart! That’s what you call nest DISTRIBUTION and one very busy turtle — she traveled over 20 miles/day!
Amazing tracking data. Thank you, SC-DNR and Genetics Project analysts!
Just when you think the momma turtles are on their way to a much deserved rest and feeding ground, more tracks and another NEST!
Julia found two false crawls near the last East parking lot, then another crawl in the old Coast Guard Station area. This one wasn’t a false crawl … Nest #54 CONFIRMED and left in situ.
Folly’s Nesting season MAY be over, but hatching season is well underway with over 1000 hatchlings leaving the sand to make their way to their ocean home.
We’re often asked “When do the nests hatch? I want to see the hatchlings.”
They typically leave the nest in the dark after developing for about 56 days under the sand. The dark helps to protect them from most predators and makes it easier for them to follow moonlight to the ocean. That’s why it’s so important to keep the beach very dark at night.
We appreciate your help in making the hatchlings’ departure as safe as possible.
Defying all expectations, sea turtle nesting on Folly continues. CC found Nest #53 this morning! Location and other details will be posted soon.
A very busy turtle morning — a death and lots of new lives.
Page alerted Judi that a dead turtle was on the beach Monday evening near 613 East Arctic. Jenna from DNR measured, photographed and gathered the data from the turtle, then early Tuesday morning, Mayor Goodwin met Judi at the site and said he’d have a crew bury the turtle for us. Thank you, Page, Jenna, Judi, and Tim for taking care of all the necessary “last rites” for this loggerhead.
Susie reported that Nest #9 hatched!
And Carole and Allison found Nest #52 just outside the County Park at 1103 West Ashley. It was right at the high tide line and moved to 1100 West Ashley. Egg count will be posted soon.
Wow! Allison did a solo find and welcomed Nest 51 to Folly this morning. In and out tracks showed a good differential indicating that the turtle spent extended time on the beach. Allison probed the nesting area and located the clutch — a first for her and maybe the last of the season for this turtle. The nest was left where Momma Turtle laid it. Great work by both!
THEY DID IT! Loggerhead sea turtles (along with one leatherback sea turtle) have laid 50 nests on Folly (dare we say so far?) this season. We never expected such a good year!
Here’s Judi’s report:
“We hit 50 today!!! Yesterday we had a false crawl at 600 West Ashley. Just a quick in & out. Maybe the lightening frightened her?? Today she came back and nested. Long, long tracks in and longer out with a large & beautiful body pit just at the spring high tide line. So 88 eggs (89 - 1) were relocated higher in the dune just above the original location at 519 West Ashley.”
A big THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS go to Charlotte and Tim for finding and relocating Folly’s NEST #50!
Lots of leatherback hatchlings seen at Nest #2 on Friday evening. Hurrah! Looking forward to getting the inventory results.
Leatherback hatchling emerging from nest. Photo by Stephanie Scoll.
Photo by Liam. Note simultaneous flipper strokes. (Loggerheads alternate flipper strokes.)
Photo by Liam.
Photo by Liam.
Sharon reported on her Friday night nest watches:
“After watching the Leatherbacks make their way to the ocean @ the County Park, I stopped by Nest #3 (921 E. Arctic) to check for activity because it had recently cratered. No tracks, but several nest watchers were staying the night waiting for the hatchlings. I gave Jackie and her family (Robin’s sister-in-law) my number to call when the action started. She called @ 10:30 and said one turtle was out and making it’s way to the ocean.
When I arrived there were about 20 watchers, but no action … then a group sitting on the beach noticed 3 babies. We watched them make it to the water and discovered that Nest #7 had hatched while we were all watching Nest #3. The nests were about 10 feet apart. Talk about a ‘watched pot/nest never boils’.
Judi joined us and we waited until 12:30, but no more hatchlings appeared from either nest and no calls during the night.”
Judi added “and a good time was had by all! The End.”
That’s our favorite kind of Folly turtle story!
The 1300-block East finally got a nest this season. Michelle found and relocated 115 eggs near 1315 for Nest #48. (And we thought 41 would be a great season.)
