Isle of Palms resident Reston Merritt watches as a sea turtle hatchling is released during one of the season's early nest inventories (Provided)
Our loggerhead nests began hatching July 15 this season. As of July 29, seven of 40 Isle of Palms nests and one of 17 Sullivan's Island nests had produced hatchlings.
The Turtle Team follows South Carolina Department of Natural Resources guidelines, which require waiting at least 72 hours after a nest produces its first hatchlings before conducting what is known as a nest inventory. At that time, we document what is found beneath the sand, including empty eggshells, unhatched or undeveloped eggs, and hatchlings, dead or alive. Information from each nest is entered into a central database that includes nests laid in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and some of the many nests in Florida. This allows scientists to know what happened to every egg laid, every turtle that hatched, and how many made it onto the beach and into the ocean.
After this three-day waiting period, most of the tiny loggerheads are gone, but sometimes a few remain in the nest. These hatchlings may have developed more slowly, have birth defects or become tangled in the roots of dune grasses such as sea oats. Some may have flippers that are weak or not functioning properly, making it difficult to dig their way out. We release these hatchlings so they can crawl to the ocean, giving them a chance to survive.
Unfortunately, most hatchlings are eaten by predators during their first few days in the ocean. However, because so many thousands make this first dangerous swim to the relative safety of the sargassum floating in the Gulf Stream, many will survive the 25 to 30 years it takes to reach adulthood.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A TINY TURTLE ON THE BEACH:
If the hatchling is energetic and almost to the water, do not pick it up. Instead, follow it and protect it from harm until it swims away. If it is injured, too weak to swim away, or has been washed back onto the beach by the waves and will not return to the ocean, call the Isle of Palms Police Department at 843-886-6522 to report it. A member of the Turtle Team will come to collect it.