First Sea Turtle Nest Spotted on Kiawah Island
Early Monday morning, a team monitoring the beaches came across the season’s first sea turtle nest on Kiawah Island. It is the first of what conservationists hope will be many nests laid by sea turtles up and down the South Carolina coast this year.
According to town officials, team six located the nest, marking the start of the nesting season. The announcement follows the news of the season’s first nest, reported in Garden City, South Carolina, on April 30.
Sea Turtle Species in the Palmetto State
Four species of sea turtles are known to nest in the Palmetto State, including loggerhead, green sea turtles, leatherbacks, and Kemp’s ridleys.
All the reported nests so far, including the one found on Kiawah Island, have been attributed to loggerhead turtles. These turtles are the most common sea turtle species found in South Carolina and are named for their large heads.
Record Sea Turtle Nests
Last year, official records showed that a staggering 6,628 nests were laid across the state. With the sighting in Kiawah Island, wildlife enthusiasts and citizens alike are hopeful that the numbers might rise even more this year.
Conservation Efforts and Public Assistance
With the start of another nesting season, biologists are urging the public to aid in sea turtle conservation efforts. One key aspect of this involves reporting any sightings of dead or injured sea turtles to the designated hotline at 1-800-922-5431.
They have also provided several guidelines to follow in order to assist in the conservation of these magnificent creatures. These include:
- Never disturbing a sea turtle crawling to or from the ocean.
- Observing nesting sea turtles only from a distance without causing any disruption.
- Not using lights or flash photography near a sea turtle, as it can cause disorientation.
- Turning off all lights visible from the beach between dusk and dawn from May through October.
- Leaving the beach as natural as possible by filling in holes and removing items such as tents and chairs overnight to avoid trapping the turtles.
- Never attempting to ride a sea turtle.
By assisting the sea turtle population in South Carolina, citizens can contribute to the global conservation effort to preserve and protect these endangered species for future generations.
