One of our most dreaded sightings is a stranded sea turtle -- one that has come ashore, not to nest, but as the result of injury, disease, or death at sea.

So far this year, Folly has had 10 strandings: 6 of them in a 45 day period, 2 of them on the same day -- all dead loggerheads. FIve of the ten strandings appeared to have sustained severe injuries, possibly from collisions with boats; two were determined by necropsy to have died acutely with the trachea showing signs of "suffocation." For a sea turtle, that essentially means being drowned.

Worse, Folly's experience with stranding is duplicated all along the SC coast. There were 94 reported strandings in South Carolina during 1999. This year, there have 136. 59 of those were on Charleston's four beaches; 36 of that 59 were on Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island. Most of the strandings occur between May 1st and July 31st -- the time when offshore turtle and human activities converge.

The loss of every sea turtle that has survived the 20-30 years to reach their sub-adult and adult life stage is significant. Not only is that individual lost, but its potential to reproduce is gone. For an endangered species, this is especially critical. As one biologist has said, "Losing an adult turtle is like losing 1,000 eggs on the beach."

Strandings 2004
Strandings 2003
Strandings 2002
Strandings 2001
Strandings 2000

Additional stranding information from

• Clearwater Marine Aquarium
• Turtle Time, Inc.
• Marine Mammal Stranding Center