South Carolina reports its first sea turtle nest of the 2021 season

SEABROOK ISLAND, S.C. — Sea turtle season has officially arrived in South Carolina.

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According to WCIV, wildlife officials said volunteers Lucy Hoover and Sandy MacCoss discovered a nest – apparently the state’s first of the year – Tuesday night on Seabrook Island.

“South Carolina’s first sea turtle nest of the season was laid last night!” the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. “Seabrook turtle team volunteers Sandy and Lucy spotted a crawl and located the nest on Seabrook Island, 20 miles south of Charleston.”

Sea turtle nesting season begins May 1 and ends Oct. 31, with eggs typically hatching around July 1, WCIV and WTOC reported. The state reported 5,560 nests in 2020, according to the news outlets.

The new nest was laid by a loggerhead, one of four species that nest along the state’s coast, WTOC reported. The other species are Kemp’s ridleys, leatherbacks and greens, authorities said.

In its Facebook post, the DNR went on to urge residents to “help give these protected animals the best shot at survival by keeping lights off our beaches at night and reporting nest disturbances or sick/injured/dead sea turtles” by calling 1-800-922-5431.

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Cox Media Group