The week beginning Monday, July 20, presented numerous challenges for our volunteers including high heat and humidity and gale force winds that were reshaping the landscape of the island daily. Later in the week were threatening skies and storms that dumped sizeable amounts of rain. There was concern the conditions would combine to make it difficult to monitor nesting or hatching activity during our daily patrols. A case in point was our Nest 01R. Beginning on Monday and continuing throughout the week, subtle changes were noted and documented within the caged area at the nest, but any definitive signs of an emergence - hatchling tracks or a clear emergence hole - were quickly wiped away. A slight depression might appear in a photo only to disappear on a return trip past the nest an hour later. Numerous holes at the center of the nest were assumed to be ghost crabs holes, but were likewise distorted with no crabs found in the area.
Finally on Friday, July 24, two faint hatchling tracks were seen emerging from the nest. One of the tracks was made by a hatchling about mid beach barreling its way toward the ocean. The little one was fully viable, strong, with a wholly absorbed yolk sac and easily made his way into the surf.
Yes, I am ready and on my way
Another fully developed hatchling was found deceased about 10 feet from the nest outside a large ghost crab hole. These signs pointed to evidence of a recent or soon to be emergence. We closely monitored the area over the next two days and no further activity was noted. Using all the clues we had, the daily LOAs determined the first main nest emergence occurred on Thursday July 23, with the two stragglers noted on Friday bringing up the rear after the main event. Emergence was at 62 days.
The LOAs had some previously scheduled maintenance to perform on Sunday, and made a decision at that time, per DNR guidelines, to complete the inventory. The nest was very deep, having been inundated by the blowing sands. Once the first level of hatched eggs was reached, the inventory was completed quickly and the results tallied: 90 eggs hatched, 12 eggs unhatched/pipped, 3 dead hatchlings and 1 lone live hatchling no doubt happy to be freed and sent on his way. Nest hatch success rate 86.5%, emergence success 82.6%.
One lone live hatchling happy to be helped from the nest cavity
Watch out world, here I come….
Photos by Sharon, Cherie and Kim T. Text by Kim T.
All sea turtle monitoring by Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol is permitted and authorized by SCDNR under Permit MTP 500.
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