#turtle patrol

[thomasdu77y]

Turtle Patrol sunrise - Kiawah Island, South Carolina 🌅

[wouldwind]

Painted turtle (chrysemys picta) | Tortue peinte

[johnschneiderblog]

Heroes on the half shell

Folks here take their sea turtles seriously. As they see it, creatures that have occupied the earth for 80 million years deserve a little help in their heroic struggle against human development.

During their hatching season - from early May until October - loggerhead turtles crawl up on Hilton Head’s beaches to dig nests and lay egg.

Members of the island’s so-called Turtle Patrol, working under the direction of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources - roam the beaches every morning locating nests and marking them with poles that warn beach-walkers to steer clear.

Turtle Patrollers also monitor the nest as the eggs incubate and hatch, then take inventory of each new generation.

[thomasdu77y]

I just finished my 4th morning on the Turtle Patrol truck. 🐢

Pictured here is nest #4, which we had to relocate because it was below the high tide line and at risk of being washed over. . . 🌊

[thomasdu77y]

For the 2nd time in 4 years, with just three probes of the nest, I was able to locate the 1st loggerhead sea turtle nest of the season on Kiawah Island. 🐢

It was kind of cool since it was Mother's Day. ✨

[thomasdu77y]

Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol sunrise... 🌅

[thomasdu77y]

...through the shadows...

[thomasdu77y]

I often lose sight of how lucky I am to volunteer on the Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol. I am reminded once again as I'm on Nesting Patrol over the next few days...

This photo is from May, 6th 2022, when I probed and located the 1st nest of the season on Kiawah Island. WoooHooo….