Sunday June 2, 2024 -Possible Nest #2

 It was a cool morning with lots of clouds and a short lived sunrise. Elissa and Erin walked the short end and Billie Jo and Tammy walked the long end. The ladies on the short end had just passed the entrance of the beach to go toward the long end when Erin recived a call about a crawl. When Erin and Elissa arrived, Erin immediately noticed that the crawl length was pretty equal.  The high tide was an hour before they arrived on the beach, so it may have washed some tracks away, but the equal length made Erin wonder if a nest had been laid. 

The tracks were 31 inches wide and there was a textbook crescent shape and body pit. There was a good amount of thrown sand, so Erin taught the team how to feel for the difference between the untouched sand and thrown sand.

   

 The team probed the entire area, with a few spots to look at. 

Unfortunately, after digging the entire area and body pit, the nest chamber was not found. Erin explained to the group that this is not unusual, and they marked it as PN#2. 

The volunteers learned that there are many things that can cause a turtle to not lay a nest in a specific area, but there is no way to know the reason. These turtles are definitely mysterious animals. After marking the area the team walked back to the car with a nice breeze to keep them cool. On the walk back, they also saw a water spout forming over the ocean in the distance, but was glad they did not witness rain. 

Narrative by Erin D. Photos by Erin D. & Billie Jo M. 

Waties Island performs research and management activities regarding sea turtle conservation in accordance under SCDNR Permit Number MTP500