Educational activities will mark start of turtle nesting season
By Warren Cobb | Managing Editor
Demonstrations on nesting, nest protection, hatching, and taking care of Folly Beach’s natural habitat are some of the programs scheduled for the 5th Annual Folly Turtles Homecoming event. The Folly Beach Turtle Watch program hosts the family-friendly event, which will begin at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, May 2 on the beach at Third Block West.
Sea Turtles nests on Folly Beach are made up primarily of Loggerhead turtles. Female sea turtles begin laying eggs from around mid-May to mid-August. They emerge from the ocean and search for a suitable nesting site. After about 30 to 45 minutes of digging a nest with their hind-flippers, usually about 18 inches deep, they lay their eggs. The average number of eggs is 126. The mother then crawls back to the ocean and doesn’t return. This process happens almost always at night. Sea turtles prefer a natural habitat, one that’s quiet, dark and motionless. That’s why beachfront homeowners and their guests are encouraged to turn off their beachfront lights during turtle nesting season.
The eggs take 45 to 65 days to mature and hatch. Folly Beach Turtle Watch is on constant patrol all summer, looking for nests, which they mark with tape as a caution for people to not disturb the nests. If the mother turtle errantly chose a bad location for the nest, or if the beach around the nest is subject to change, the Turtle Watch program will carefully relocate the eggs to a safe place.
If you happen upon a nest that has not been marked by the Folly Beach Turtle Watch Program, you are encouraged to call Folly Beach Public Safety at 843-588-2433. They will notify the Turtle Watch Program to evaluate and tag the nest.
For more information on the Folly Beach Turtle Watch Program, go to www.follyturtles.com.
