Here's the best places to see giant sea turtles around Myrtle Beach
If you want to see sea turtles along the Grand Strand, now's a good time.
Leatherback sea turtles — the world's largest — are back in local waters.
There have been "numerous" reports of leatherback sightings in Horry County and even at Huntington Beach State park in Georgetown County, according to Erin Weeks, media and communication coordinator with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
South Carolina State Parks wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday that the 1,000 pound "beautiful beasts" have been seen from the Myrtle Beach State Park pier recently.
"Piers are great places from which to spot leatherbacks," Weeks said.
She added that piers give you a better shot at seeing the sea turtles than a dock or beach would.
Boaters are are urged to pay attention as they are out on the water due to the leatherbacks being endangered. Weeks said there were a number of incidents last year in Horry County where leatherbacks became entangled in crab pot float lines.
"We encourage everyone who spends time on the water to program our 24-hr wildlife hotline into their phones (1-800-922-5431) so they can report any sick, injured, or dead sea turtles they encounter — and oftentimes help save a life," Weeks said. "We really rely on beach-goers, boaters, and anglers to report these animals so that we can dispatch one of our biologists or volunteers to respond."
Local piers to look for sea turtles
- Apache Pier in Myrtle Beach
- Cherry Grove Pier in North Myrtle Beach
- 14th Avenue Pier in Myrtle Beach
- 2nd Avenue Pier in Myrtle Beach
- Myrtle Beach State Park Pier
- Garden City Pier
Michaela Broyles: 843-626-0281, @MichaelaBroyles
This story was originally published May 1, 2018 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Here's the best places to see giant sea turtles around Myrtle Beach."