The most amazing thing happened last week! If you’re a subscriber to both this site and the Dewees Island Blog, I’ll apologize for the double mention of this incredible moment. In truth, it never gets old and I have watched the videos so often~ and yet I am never tired of reliving that moment.
The waves from hurricane Erin were creating some high tides, and I wanted to see just how high the tide had gotten. I’d also gotten a photo of one of our three remaining nests, with some tracks that looked like armadillos, so we went to investigate.
Oh, my gosh, it’s hatching NOW! The turtles were very still, and there were ants climbing up and around the protective grate. We notified the rest of the turtle team, some of whom left dinner on the stove or table, some woke up kids and grandkids, and luckily for us, the baby turtles paused for a few moments before beginning to tumble out of the nest cavity toward the ocean.
In this first video, you can see the ants prowling around, and I didn’t take out all the sound, so you can hear some excited gasps of onlookers from toddlers to great-grandparents. It’s also easy to understand why a nest hatch is called a “boil.” You can see how the young turtles use each other (and the caging) to push themselves up and out. (And, since I know folks will ask, the cage is there to protect the developing nest from predators like armadillos, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and gulls and crows.)
As the troop of turtles began to cascade down the dune, more people arrived, and I think the crowd kept ALL the predators away.
The second video of the day shows the tiny turtles making their way to the ocean. Their timing was terrific: it was a high tide, so they didn’t have to go very far to the water. You can see them scramble across a small sandbar, get toppled by a wave, and finally find their rhythm of swimming below the turbulence of the top part of the wave. The onlookers got to see one of those miraculous nature spectacles that stops you in your tracks with wonder.
It was a real-life scene from one of Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May’s novels (check out the cover of The Islanders!); a moment of pure and joyful connection with nature, but also with like-minded neighbors who all paused whatever they were doing to witness the magic.
Want to learn more about loggerhead turtles?
Almost every barrier island from North Carolina to Georgia, around Florida, and along the gulf to Texas has a turtle team. In South Carolina, teams are managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Since all species of sea turtles are protected species, each team has a permit to locate, assess, relocate (if necessary) and monitor turtle nests. Dewees operates under permit MTP514.
Every day from early may to mid-August, volunteers look for the tracks of loggerhead turtles on the beach. (below are 7 reasons to walk with the turtle team, or you can check out this post for more information.)
