I was lucky enough to patrol the beach one night with an AmeriCorp team. During the nesting season the beaches at Jekyll Island are patrolled every night. I got to see a turtle nesting which was an amazing sight. We need to make sure we are helping sea turtles if we can.
What sea turtles nest on Georgia beaches? There are lots of kinds of turtles that are found in the sea off Georgia but the Loggerhead is the only one that nests on the Georgia Island Barrier beaches like Jekyll Island, Sea Island etc. Sea turtle season is May to October so we need to be very careful on the beaches at this time.
How do Loggerheads nest? When a female is about 30 years old it makes the journey back to the beach where she was born and waits for night time to lay her eggs in a hole she digs in the sand then covers up.
What are some threats to nests? Predators such as foxes, armadillos, coyotes, birds, minks, pet dogs, feral cats and hogs are all a threat to nests. But lights are a major problem to hatchlings. Sea turtle hatchlings usually emerge at night so they can make their way to the ocean under cover of dark. On naturally lit beaches, hatchlings crawl to the sea by finding the brightest light in the sky. Due to artificial lighting, land is sometimes brighter at night than the ocean and hatchlings can find themselves crawling away from the ocean. Using red light on the beach at night is better than other light, but if possible avoid using any forms of artificial light.
Here are some tips to help nesting sea turtles.
- Walk without light or use “turtle friendly” lights when walking on the beach at night during sea-turtle season.
- Avoid walking in the dunes.
- Remove your belongings from the beach as they could be obstacles to sea turtles.
- Knock down sand castles and fill any holes that you dig.
- Don’t walk in front of a turtle, touch it or take photos of it.
Rob Macmillan
July 2021 - Aroundabout Local Media