Results from Nest #7 on SI and Nest #25 on IOP Today

NEST #7 was laid on July 10 when Jeremy Anspach was on patrol. It was up against the steep scarp at Station 17, what we call the Jungle Path, and the tracks were mostly washed away by the high tide - only about 10-15 feet long. That is why our volunteers always walk at the high tide line to look for new tracks. It contained 105 eggs that were moved to Station 18 ½ and incubated for 52 days. Today we found that 66 eggs our of the 105 had hatched with 38 undeveloped. The roots from the dune grasses had invaded the nest, and three undeveloped eggs were completely entangled in them in a big ball of roots and egg yolk. Two hatchlings had died in the nest, and 3 live ones were released to crawl to the ocean by Haley Bailey. Hatch Success was 62.8% and Emergence Success was 58%.

.Nest #25 was found just south of the Sea Cabins pier on the Isle of Palms by Kerrie Scott and Pam Bridges along with Pam’s daughter Lily on July 10 and relocated off the flat crowded area of the beach to a safe spot at 28^th Avenue. This was the morning of the IOP Recreation Center’s Sea Stroll and Learn program for a walk on the beach to learn about the Island Turtle Team and sea turtle nesting. So the timing of this was perfect. It contained 88 eggs and incubated for 52 days before producing hatchlings. This nest did very well with only one unhatched egg, one dead hatchling and one live hatchling. Kerrie and Pam were there to do the honor of releasing the one turtle to crawl to the water. Hatch Success was 97.7% when the genetic sample egg was included (so two did not hatch) and Emergence Success was 91.5%.