May through August is Loggerhead Sea Turtle nesting season on Edisto Island. The mother turtles come ashore and dig nests in the sand dunes beyond the high tide line to lay their eggs, then head back to sea. The eggs take about two months to mature, at which time the little turtle hatchlings dig out of the nest and make their way to the ocean guided by the light of the moon.
Staff and volunteers with the Dept of Natural Resources Turtle Conservation program walk the beach during nesting season looking for new nests to mark for protection.
Years ago when I was a child, and before the Turtle Conservation group was in existence, my grandmother would take me walking on the beach in the early mornings to erase the mother turtles' tracks from the sand to help protect the nests from tourists and locals who would dig the nests to get the eggs. So glad the turtles have professional help now. ☺
Three Good Things:
1. Loggerhead sea turtles
2. Love my 'mindful photography' class
3. Chocolate covered biscotti
@happypat Loggerheads are fascinating, Pat...such gentle giants. I used to spend my summers on Edisto at my grandmother's summer house. A fun way to spend childhood summers. ☺
We have an old fishing hole nearby that years ago was drained, and at one point they were going to reopen it and fill it once again until they discovered bog turtles. Now they are not permitted to disturb the area. The old lake bed is now off bounds
June 27th, 2015
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