Friday, Sept 12th - inventory of N 06R and a surprise

It was a beautiful morning on our island beach as the Friday team began it’s walk to quickly monitor our remaining nests and possible nest before our appointed meet up to complete the inventory of nest 06R. - our primary mission for the day. 

Our last area to inspect before heading back was PN 03 at the far end of the island. The crawl associated  with this PN was discovered on Tuesday, July 15. This lady crawled up to and along the face of the dune, up, then down again before returning to the water. Much of her track at the dune was obscured by blown sand. The Tuesday team probed and dug in numerous places, but did not find the egg chamber. The crawl was deemed a PN (possible nest) marking it for continued observation. Today as we approached the area, it looked quiet with no evidence of activity as it had for the previous 58 days. As we prepared to turn around, we discovered, a little beyond and behind the marked area, numerous hatchling tracks heading toward the water from an obvious emergence hole about midway up the face of the dune. And just like that, PN 03 became N09!

The DNR marker on the left shows the area mostly likely to contain the egg chamber based on reading of the track and possible body pit on July 15. Volunteer standing at the point of the actual emergence. Crafty momma hid her nest well - just as her instinct tells her to. 

                                                  Emergence hole and tracks heading for the water

                                                        Our big, wild journey begins!

After that wonderful surprise, we headed back down the beach where we were joined by additional patrol volunteers and 15 CCU Sea Turtle Club members and officers to complete the scheduled inventory. This was the first inventory of the season where the students participated. Their attendance is permitted once they have attended the training provided by our Project Permit Holder, Leslie. They were transported out to the beach piling into pickup trucks driven by Steve and Leslie. 

After some additional on-site remarks and procedure review, the history of the nest and incubation was reviewed.

Tasks to compete the inventory were assigned, and the students enthusiastically dove in under the supervision of patrol members and leaders. The process went smoothly, despite the very deep nest which had our volunteer diggers up to their armpits still digging hatched eggs out of the chamber. When all was sorted and counted, we evacuated 93 hatched, 4 unhatched/pipped eggs, 1 dead hatchling and 0 live hatchlings. Good result with a hatched success rate of 87.7% and emersion success rate of 86.7%.

                       It’s all smiles as the nest is evacuated.

                                Yep, I think there are still some eggs down there!

                             Eggs are passed from the chamber to the sorters and counters

                                              Eggs are sorted and…..

                                                        …..counted

After the inventory was completed, the students were transported to see the newly emerged nest and were treated to a dolphin pod frolic just off shore. 

Pics by Leslie, Cherie, Carolyn and Kim. Summary by Kim T.

All sea turtle monitoring by Waties Island Sea Turtle Patrol is permitted and authorized by SCDNR Marine Conservation Program under permit MTP500.