Tuesday, July 29 - Nest 03 emergence!

 Kudos to all those volunteers who have been monitoring our island beach for sea turtle activity during these really hot and humid days. Evidence of outstanding commitment! 

The Tuesday volunteers and guest hit the beach today just as the sun was beginning to manifest its reign over yet another steamy day.

Nests were checked, ghost crabs battled, quick inspections of two recently emerged nests completed. We were happy to see evidence of a handful of overnight hatchling stragglers who made their way to the water from Nest 2R which officially emerged yesterday. 

As we approached the upper end of the island, we had a pleasant surprise. Nest 03 had emerged overnight at 54 days. This nest was discovered by our Thursday team on June 5. Our momma came in, crawled to the top of the dune, slid down a little, made a quick right turn and created her body pit in the perfect spot. No need to move those eggs!

Perfect emergence hole

This nest was plagued by ghost crabs almost from the beginning. During its incubation, we caught and relocated a total of 18 ghost crabs from around the nest. Even today, as we discovered a typical emergence hole, there where lots of ghost crab tracks over and around the hatchling tracks. There was also evidence that some hatchlings may have been dragged away from the emergence hole or as they were heading for the ocean. We searched diligently for any hatchlings who may have been waylaid from their journey by the pesky ghost crabs, but none were found. We are confident most of them were already swimming their way toward the safety of the Sargasso Sea nursery grounds. Safe travels little ones!

Lots of tracks heading to the water

Evidence of a ghost crab dragging a hatchling from the nest😠

pics by Kim P and Kim T. Summary by Kim T.

All sea turtle monitoring by WISTP is permitted and authorized by SCDNR Marine Conservation Program under MTP500. 

Monday, July 28th - Nests #01 & 02R emerged!

 Another very hot morning on Waties, but an exciting one for the Monday team.

Half way up the beach the team found a total emergence of N#01 at day 68. This nest was laid on May 25th and since this lady knew what she was doing it did not have to be moved.This inventory will be done Thursday  morning.

The team was hoping to find total emergent at N#02R today, since yesterday there was a partial one. Interestingly, again all the turtles emerged from a crab hole, not the reed area. If you remember this nest was relocated from the jetty area and we had transferred 141 eggs to a new  site lower  down the beach. So this inventory will also be done Thursday morning.

Unfortunately, the ghost crabs are having a field day in this hot weather. When the team reached N#04 they found a huge crab hole at the reed  with an egg shell outside. They were unable to get him out so they covered the hole and continued their walk. when they returned there was another crap hole with another shell laying on the outside of the nest. Unable to get him out, they covered the hole. Tomorrow crab traps will be placed around this nest to help prevent anymore loss.

Pictures and summary by Jewel and Sharon.

All sea turtle monitoring by WISTP is permitted and authorized by SCDNR marine turtle conservation program under permit MTP 500.

Sunday, July 27th- First Sign of Emergence Nest02R

 It was a hot morning with the temperatures quickly approaching 90 degrees. Erin and Tammy walked the short end of the beach, while Dani & Pam walked the longer end.

 All looked good on the short end and when Erin and Tammy got back to the beach entrance Erin received a call from Dani saying she saw hatchling tracks at Nest 2. This is exciting, since the whole turtle team has been waiting for emergence activity. Dani also said there was 2 hatchlings at the nest, 1 live and 1 dead. The live hatchling was barely hanging on. Dani put gloves on and helped it to the wet sand and to the water. They also noticed a ghost crab in the hole, which they could not get out since he was so deep. 

When Erin got to the nest she noticed there was not a major emergence hole, just the ghost crab hole. It looks like the hatchlings may have been getting ready to come out, but found the ghost crab hole and decided to come out of there instead. Because of this, it is not considered a major emergence. There was about 5 or 6 sets of tracks going to the ocean.  

Erin used the dead hatchling for a paternal DNA research. Erin and Tammy continued to walk the island and meet up with Dani & Pam. When heading back to the entrance, they all stopped back at nest 2 to see if we could try to get the ghost crab out again. We noticed he got out on his own, and we could see more hatchlings moving around in the hole. Right when we were going to begin walking again the team caught a glimpse of a hatchling crawling down from the dunes. It was covered in sand but was moving around well on its own. To make it a little easier for the hatchling, we took it down to the wet sand and watched at it crawled to out into the ocean. 

Once the water hit it, the team noticed there was a red mark on its head and one eye was red. It looked like it had an injury, most likely from the ghost crab. It was a happy moment when the team watched the hatchling swim away, not letting its injury stop it from getting to the ocean. 

All writing and photos done by Erin D.

All sea turtle monitoring by Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol is permitted and authorized by SCDNR MARINE Turtle Conservation Program under Permit MTP 500

Wednesday, July 23, 2025 - Nest #08 - Long crawl for this lady sea turtle

 Well, ten degrees really made a difference walking the beach today.  The rain we got yesterday did bring some cooler temps for this morning walk on the beach.  Along with the Wednesday Volunteers, we had a volunteer bring out herself and ten of her friends.  They were very lucky to be visiting with us, since we had a very long crawl and a nest - Nest #08.

Dawn over the marsh

 

Volunteers and friends heading toward the jetty

There were four of us walking toward Hog Inlet and YES we have a crawl, a really long crawl.  She came in and crawled around clumps of sea oats, other obstacles and finally decided on a nice area at the base of the dune.  Very neat body pit, and we found the egg chamber very quickly.  This lady's crawl is 36 inches wide, and she is dragging possibly a barnacle on her plastron.  She took the long way in, but did take a much shorter path back to the ocean.

The beginning and the end

Nice neat body pit

Kate checking out her crawl - see how far the ocean is

She crawled around and over sea oats

She made a right turn here to her nesting area, incoming track

Outgoing track

We had guests, so we try to get them involved in the process, as we do this we explain what we are doing, so it becomes educational for those who have never experienced working a sea turtle nest.  We also like to have younger guests to help with the manual labor   

The egg used for DNA

The two young men, Dot and T-Ray, digging to install the cage

Getting the nest area ready for the cage

Job well done by everyone

 

 

 

 

Nest 08

Our visitors also have inquiring minds and wanted to know about this small crab they were seeing on the beach.   Per Lens this is a "Purse Crab" also known as a "Pink Purse Crab".  These crabs molt so that may address seeing so many of them on the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text and pictures by Leslie

All sea turtle monitoring by Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol is permitted and authorized by SCDNR MARINE Turtle Conservation Program under Permit MTP 500.
 

 

Sunday July 20th, 2025- FC#4 & Nest 07

It was a hot morning with a team eager to have some activity. All the Sunday team had encountered was trash for the entire season. Erin and Tammy found a message in a bottle on the short end.  When they were looking at it,  Dani called Erin and said they found a crawl. 

After looking at the crawl, it was easy to tell it was just that - False crawl #4. It looked like mama turtle came up on the beach, got about half way to the dunes and may have gotten startled by something because she turned right around. Her tracks were 32 inches wide and very clear to see. 

    

                                                                                  

The team continued to walk the beach since this crawl was only about a third up the island. When Dani, Barb & Pam got further down the beach, Dani called Erin again. This crawl looked promising, so Erin told Dani to walk the rest of the beach and meet her and Tammy there after they worked the False Crawl. 

This crawl looked just like the false crawl, but there was a body pit and it was at the base of the dune. 32 inches wide also. The team thinks it may be the same mama, who was determined to lay her nest on Waites Island last night. 

 

                                                                                     

Of the 5 person team, only 2 of them had worked a nest before, so it was a learning experience for most. It was an easy process to probe, only taking 4 tries. The team dug and found the eggs, measuring the nest to be 15 inches deep. They took the one egg for DNA research and marked the nest with the SCDNR Pole. 

                                                                                        

It was an exciting and educational morning and the Sunday team is very excited to finally have a nest under their belt! 

Photos and writing by Erin D. 

All sea turtle monitoring by Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol is permitted and authorized by SCDNR MARINE Turtle Conservation Program under Permit MTP 500

Some Interesting Beach Finds Today

 While we were not fortunate enough to have any sea turtle action, we did find some special beach specimens. 

 A stiff pen shell (quite fragile)

A Tulip Shell egg case

Sections of a Florida Horse Conch egg casing

 In addition to these items we collected, we saw Redbeard sponges (bright red), hermit crabs, sea pork (pink and purple varieties), and all sorts of other animals.

This ghost crab doesn't look happy

 

Also, SO MUCH garbage which gets caught in the sargassum that has been washing up lately. Today's total sunglass count came in at 86 and goggles and face masks at 41. Best find of the day was a set of dentures! Unfortunately, no photo...

 

Half of the sunglasses and goggles

Some additional sunglasses and goggles

Feels good to get that trash out of our oceans :)

 Thanks to Kaela, Cherie and Barb for their photos.

All sea turtle monitoring by Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol is permitted and authorized by SCDNR MARINE Turtle Conservation Program under Permit MTP 500. 

Tuesday, July 15th - a crawl, Possible Nest(PN) 03

 We started out to the island and were met by a beautiful view over the marsh, looking toward North Carolina.  Lots of clouds over the ocean today, some dropped rain out there, but did not reach the beach thank goodness.

 We have six nests so far this year, and the nesting season is on its downward slope.  We do take measures in protecting our nests from our number one predator, Ghost Crabs, those little pesky critters.  We use Ghost Crab traps.  Here's an example of one that we have set up by our Nest #06R.  It is a pvc pipe with one end capped.  We bury it in the sand close to the nest that is being harassed by those pesky critters.  They think they found a new home, go in and are unable to crawl out.  We take them elsewhere on the beach and release them - away from our nest.

 Got a call that we had a crawl on the upper end of the island, so excited for the Tuesday Volunteers since they have not had a nest o work this year.  A great crawl in, she is 32 inches wide.  Her incoming track was made at high time, and she left sometime later as the tide was receding.  It looks like she had plenty of time to do her thing.  However, she made a mess of the  area we think she nested.  The normal things we look for were present - torn up vegetation, thrown sand, and a pile of sand with a crescent shape.

The difficulty for us probing is there is a lot of new blown sand on the dunes, and the probe goes down and gives you a false sense of finding the nest chamber.  If the sand was not soft, it was as hard as cement. 

 We probed and dug several places - but did not find the nest chamber.  The time had flown by so I made the decision to call this a "Possible Nest" - PN for short.  Volunteers will check again tomorrow and see if we have evidence of a nest, or did she just not like the area and left without nesting - only she knows the answer to that question.

 Her incoming track - she exited the water sometime at high tide, crawled up to the face of the dune

 

 

Her body pit - she made a mess of the sand

 

Crawled along the wall of the dune, climbed a little and left

Outgoing crawl she left as the water was receding

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to the Tuesday Volunteers - not only were the working on this nesting issue, they picked up three huge bags of trash that washed in this morning - job well done.

 

 

 Text and pictures by Leslie
All sea turtle monitoring by Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol is permitted and authorized by SCDNR MARINE Turtle Conservation Program under Permit MTP 500.