Sea turtle conservation is a lot like planting a tree today to be able to sit in shade years from now. Both are long-term investments.
“We put a lot of good conservation measures into place about 30 years ago,” said Michelle Pate, who manages the S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ Marine Turtle Conservation Program. “We implemented several turtle protection devices [for boats] in the water. On land, we started relocating nests, making sure we put protective screens and cages around them.”
That first wave of sea turtle nest protection from the late 1970s through the ‘80s led to a huge boost in hatchling survival. And now, those hatchlings are the ones laying their own eggs on the Palmetto State’s beaches, leading to record-setting numbers of nests and eggs this year.
As of Aug. 25, SCDNR counted 7,946 loggerhead sea turtle nests, already making it the third-highest number on record. But the count isn’t over yet, officials said, and it’s possible this year could still break the 2019 record of 8,775 nests.
Turtles typically lay eggs from May through mid-August, though the nesting season runs through October. Each nest contains more than 100 eggs on average. Nesting sea turtles are also the same hatchlings from those decades ago, as turtles generally return to their beach of origin to lay their own eggs.
“We don’t get to see these results right away,” said S.C. Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Care Center Manager Melissa Ranly. “It takes about 30 years for these turtles to become adults and come back home to nest. So these numbers are really showing that things we put in place decades ago to help the turtles worked.”
Turtle teams
On individual beaches, nesting numbers are already breaking records.
Turtle teams on Hilton Head Island recorded 413 nests as of Aug. 25, up from 237 last year.
Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge north of Mount Pleasant, which usually sees the highest nesting numbers across its multiple beaches, is up to 3,364 loggerhead nests so far. The number is quickly approaching its 2025 total of 3,902.
All along the coast, turtle patrol teams wake up early in the morning — well before sunrise — and walk the beaches to search for new nests or new activity in previously recorded nests.
“Our turtle teams are one of the single most important aspects to turtle conservation,” Pate said. “We cannot cover 300 kilometers of beach without them. They’re out seven days a week for six months straight, early in the morning, looking for any signs of activity and documenting any nest that’s present.”
And this year, experts are conducting population research, which means volunteers are collecting one egg from each loggerhead nest for genetic testing. It’s part of the recovery plan, Pate said, and it will let experts see just how many nesting females are in the water, which ones come back, and how often.
You can help, too
You don’t have to be a marine biologist or turtle expert to lend a helping hand to these vulnerable nesting turtles and hatchlings.
“We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Leave no trace,’ ” Ranly said.
Beach chairs, umbrellas and other furniture create obstacles that turtles can find difficult to navigate. And big holes in the sand can be especially dangerous. It’s important that hatchlings have a safe and clear pathway to the water, Ranly said.
It’s also important to extinguish any outdoor lighting at night during nesting season, and pull curtains closed, Pate added. Turtle hatchlings use light to navigate to the water, specifically moonlight reflecting off the waves. Bright, unnatural lighting can confuse hatchlings, and they may never reach the surf.
It’s unlikely for a typical beachgoer to be on the sand before the turtle teams. But if you spot a nest or nesting sea turtle that looks unmarked, call the SCDNR radio room at 1 (800) 922-5431 to get in touch with a local beach patrol.
“We only ask folks to give them plenty of space, and don’t use flash photography,” Pate said. “It’s not worth it to get that picture. Interfering with protected species shouldn’t be on anyone’s bucket list.”
Turtles by the numbers
All data is considered preliminary. Numbers are as of noon, Aug. 25.
7,965
Total nests
758
Emerged
610,155
Estimated eggs to date
328,302
Hatched eggs
First nest: Botany Bay Island (May 5)
First emergence: Kiawah Island (June 30)
Most recent nest: Edisto Beach State Park (Aug. 24)
Most recent emergence: Harbor Island (Aug. 25)
For updated data, including causes of egg loss, false crawls and species breakdowns, visit seaturtle.org.
S.C. Aquarium rehab center vital to sea turtle conservation
Sea turtle conservation doesn’t begin and end with nest protection and hatchling survivorship. The S.C. Aquarium houses a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center and program that has helped nearly 500 sick or injured turtles be released back into the wild.
The world’s seven species of sea turtles are threatened or endangered. They face habitat loss, plastic ingestion and entanglement, fishery interactions, cold-stunning and predation. The aquarium’s Sea Turtle Care Center opened in 2000, seeking to help minimize these impacts in local waters.
“We’ve seen the number of patients grow over the years,” said S.C. Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Care Center Manager Melissa Ranly. “Whether that’s due to higher awareness or actually more turtles in need is hard to determine.”
The care center partners with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and provides an interactive education and outreach program to aquarium guests. Ranly said the more people know about the care center and the work it’s doing, the better turtle outcomes are.“If people weren’t aware of us, if they accidentally hook a sea turtle, they may just cut the line and let it go,” she said. “So we’re really thankful that with this growing awareness, people know that they can call us, and we can get the turtles healthy again and get them back out into the ocean.”
The Sea Turtle Care Center is currently home to nine patients. You can keep track of their conditions and progress online at scaquarium.org/blog.
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