What a privilege it is to have a front row seat to Mother Nature’s wonder during our weekly beach patrol. On today’s agenda were darkened skies, muggy feels, a big low tide beach and very soft sand. The only evidence of mankind were numerous 4-wheeler tracks up and down the beach. Those were not the kind of tracks we were seeking! As we headed up island, Mother Nature once again trumped anything man can do by displaying a big beautiful loggerhead crawl emerging from the sea. Second year volunteer Cherie was first to spot the tracks and was thrilled to find her first crawl. 36” crawl with a middle drag mark. Efficient in and out. No messin’ around for this momma.
There was a body pit with potential for housing a nest, but it was lacking some of the common elements for a nesting event- the tracks were equidistant to the water’s edge, not a lot of thrown sand, undefined crescent. But there was a promising, although concerning, sign - a big crab hole within the body pit area. Could our perennial foe actually help us locate a nest today?
We probed quite a while, but weren’t finding the soft sand. What we couldn’t find by probing, we were able to find through digging. Our new volunteer LeighAnn found the shallow nest very near the area of the ghost crab hole.
Because the nest was located within the high spring tide line. It was relocated to an area higher up toward the dune. The nest contained 104 eggs and 1 spacer egg. Spacer eggs are small unfertilized non viable eggs common in Leatherback clutches, but are also found in some Loggerhead nests. Biologists are unsure why turtles lay these. Common theories include they help with moisture regulation, allow for critical oxygen to circulate or even as a predator decoy.
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