Active early turtle season for Fripp Island Turtle Team

There are some huge hearts walking our local beaches every morning. Each morning volunteers walk the beaches of Fripp Island looking for a particular pattern in the sand that leads from the Atlantic into the beach and dunes of the island.  Turtle tracks.  Find the tracks, and they may just lead to a newly created nest.  Find the nest and provide a better chance of sea turtle survival by relocating the eggs.

All in a morning’s work for the Fripp Island Turtle Team.

In the past few days, the team of volunteers has located a few new nests and have relocated some 300+ eggs.  On Saturday morning, Nest #3  was found containing 152 eggs that were relocated to give them the best possible chance of survival.

On Sunday morning, nest #4 was found and the momma turtle was found making her way back to the sea.  This of course was a wondrous moment and the perfect sea turtle photo op.  Lots of lucky people on the beach got to see this beauty head back to the ocean. Her nest contained 125 eggs and was relocated from just at the high tide line to a dune slightly further down the beach.

On Sunday evening, Nest #5 was found along the right side of the Fripp Island bridge – Fripp Inlet side. Upon seeing …turtle tracks…while driving, volunteer Janie Lackman went out to look along with Pat Earl and they discovered Nest #5.

All in a day’s work.

It looks to be a good beginning to the season.  We will be right there along side the Fripp Island and Hunting Island Turtle Teams for the duration.

For more information about the Fripp Island Turtle Team, a volunteer nest protection program permitted by SC Department of Natural Resources and dedicated to educating the public and protecting our state reptile, please visit the Team’s Facebook page here.