Today’s objective for the Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol was completing the inventory of nest 15R- a nest borne in the midst of a great summer thunderstorm on July 12.
The picture perfect view on our way out to the island this morning……
Was in direct contrast to that on the morning of July 12……
Because of overnight stormy conditions that continued into the morning, our July 12, early morning patrol with our Friday volunteers was called off due to safety concerns. Our fearless leader, Leslie, graciously agreed to meet me at the beach with her trusty 4-wheel drive for a “drive by” to check things out. We headed to the beach through big road puddles, amid dark skies, light rain, periodic thunder, and very strong winds.
As we approached mid island, we observed a very faint crawl that ended up becoming Nest 15R. Appears our intrepid mama was undeterred by the conditions on the beach that night, determined to complete the task of laying a nest which produced 96 eggs. Due to the nest being laid close to the high tide line, we agreed to move it closer to the dune to protect it from upcoming king and possible future storm tides. With intermittent intervals of refuge in the truck, a new nest was dug, the eggs relocated, and the new nest marked and documented - all in record time!
The nest emerged on September 9, at day 59, and scheduled for inventory today. During it’s incubation, the nest was subjected to large amounts of sand accumulating on the egg chamber due to periods of high winds. Excess sand was removed by volunteers a few times, and the hatchlings did the rest- finding their way out and heading toward the sea. Mother Nature finds a way!
With the help of two truck loads of CCU Sea Turtle Club participants, the nest evacuation was completed, eggs sorted and results tabulated. The results were good- 78 eggs hatched, 14 unhatched, 1 egg used for DNA, 1 dead hatchling. A hatch success rate of 81.2% and an emergence success rate of 80.2%.
As our season is winding down, it was good day on the island- beautiful seas and sky, with a touch of fall in the air; enthusiastic students and future stewards of continued sea turtles programs; and a good nest result. We empathize with those on the Gulf coast currently experiencing hurricane issues - knowing full well we could be next. But for today, we are grateful for the blessings of the gentle breezes and calm seas of our incredible island beach.
Pics by Leslie and Kim. Narrative by Kim T.
Waties Island performs research and management activities regarding sea turtle conservation in accordance with SCDNR Permit Number MTP500.
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