DeBordieu Perspectives

HATCHING SOON – At a Walkway Near You

Just beyond beach walkway 12, dozens of excited children (and adults) watch with delight as 6 baby loggerheads begin their adorable clumsy crawl from the dunes to the ocean’s edge. Volunteers remind the little ones to “freeze” if a wave sends the hatchlings swirling, so none get accidentally stepped on. Click here for a slideshow.

The long slog to the water seems endless, given the mere 2-inch size of the participants, but according to Betsy Brabson, the hike is necessary in order for the turtles to “imprint” on this beach. After all, DeBordieu Beach is where the females will return in 25 or so years to dig their own nests.

The 32 nests currently in DeBordieu have begun hatching and will be keeping S.C.U.T.E. (South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts) volunteers busy through October. Led by project coordinator Betsy Brabson, our own expert 25-member turtle team keeps close tabs on the loggerhead nests on DeBordieu and neighboring Hobcaw Barony beach.

The volunteers, who complete a training program and receive certification by the SC Department of Natural Resources, diligently patrol the beaches each morning searching for the tractor-like tracks indicating that a loggerhead has nested on the beach. The nest are marked with an orange sign, dated, and protected by a distinctive orange mesh covering. In addition to recording nesting and hatching activity, S.C.U.T.E. volunteers are authorized to move nests to a more appropriate location if the mother loggerhead has chosen a spot too close to the water, or any other precarious location.

After carefully monitoring the nests to assure a successful outcome, the work is still not done. Each nest is inventoried 3 days post-hatch. By counting the leathery egg shells, the volunteers deduce number of eggs in the clutch and the hatching success rate. Many times the volunteers find “late bloomer” baby turtles that haven’t quite managed to dig themselves out of the deep nest unassisted. They are carefully placed in a bucket until the nest contents are accounted for and documented for reporting to the DNR.

Then the fun can begin. The turtles are gently removed from their bucket and begin the journey towards the ocean, much to the delight of the crowd.

Ginny Horton, guest blogger

If you would like to participate, nest inventory announcements are posted 1 or 2 days beforehand at the Beach Club pool kiosk.

You can help:
Beachfront lights out – May to October. Keep the beach clean & clear for nesting and hatching sea turtles!

Learn more:
www.dnr.sc.gov/seaturtle/ or http://seaturtle.org