First Sea Turtle nest of the season discovered on Hilton Head Island!

Here come the TURTLES! 🐢🐢🐢 South Carolina Sea Turtle nesting season is off to a great start with the first nest being discovered on Hilton Head.

May 1 officially marks the first day of Sea Turtle nesting season and it’s off to a great start with the first nest being discovered on Hilton Head Island, according to seaturtle.org  Each year, beginning the first or second week of May, hundreds of female sea turtles will emerge from the ocean at night and lay an average of about 120 eggs per nest. In the 1970s, loggerheads were determined to be a threatened species by both South Carolina and the United States.

Here are six things you can do to protect these amazing sea turtles:

🐢 Turn off the lights if you’re near the beach. No flashlights!

🐢 Keep beaches clean and litter-free!

🐢 Fill in holes and knockdown sandcastles

🐢 Leave sea turtle nests alone.

🐢 Report sea turtles to the SC Department of Natural Resources by calling 1-800-922-5431.

🐢 Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest through our local Turtle Programs

Hilton Head Island is the largest barrier island on the South Carolina coast. It is comprised of gated communities, private homes, condominiums, and multi-story, oceanfront homes. Twenty-three km of the beach is regularly patrolled by the current project. A sea turtle protection project was founded in 1985. Hilton Head averages 250 nests per season.

Thank you in advance for doing your part to help save our Lowcountry Sea Turtles! Fripp Island Turtle Team, Friends of Hunting Island Sea Turtle Conservation Project, and Harbor Island Turtle Program should be next!

Source: SeaTurtle.org