Sea turtles are nesting on Grand Strand beaches. Here’s what to do if you find one

Everyone loves sea turtles. But not everyone knows what to do when they spot them.

Since hatching season in South Carolina started in July, local experts provide quick tips to locals and visitors to ensure they don’t harm them if they encounter them on the beach.

Erin Weeks, a spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, said unnatural light can be dangerous to the sea turtles because they can become disoriented and more defenseless against predators.

“We urge people to let nature take its course and admire these incredible animals from a distance,” Weeks said in an email to The Sun News.

Not only is tampering with sea turtles or their nests bad for the animals, Weeks said, but it is illegal and can result in steep fines for anyone caught doing it.

“Sea turtles regard humans as a threat, so even getting too close to a nesting mother can interrupt important nesting activities and spook her back into the water,” she said.

Terry Graham, who is has volunteered for the SCDNR for 13 years, said people can help by being watchful and leaving the beach in better condition than when you got there.

“It is hard to educate everybody, but we’re trying mostly with the children,” she said. “Tell the children, they’ll tell their parents ‘no, you’re not supposed to do that’ and hopefully there will be a change in the next generation.”

Her group, the Garden City/Surfside Sea Turtle Guardians, focus on conservation efforts to ensure sea turtles do not become extinct. All the four sea turtle species found in South Carolina waters are protected by state and federal law because they are endangered, according to a SCDNR publication on the sea animals.

Graham said the volunteers get up in the morning to look for turtle crawls, which is the trail female turtles make when they are on shore. Then, they determine if it is a false call, which means they went back to the water, or if there is a nest nearby. They also will sacrifice an egg to the University of Georgia, which does DNA studies.

Graham encourages people to not set off fireworks or do balloon releases as it puts a large amount of plastic in the water. She says beach equipment, including chairs and tents should not be left on the beach

“They need to be away from the dunes because the turtles go up in the dunes to nest,” she said.

So far, Graham said they have found eight nests in Garden City and two in Surfside, where one has already hatched. One nest in Garden City was lost to coyotes and foxes.

The four sea turtle species that frequent South Carolina waters from April through November are loggerheads, green, kemp’s ridleys and leatherbacks turtles.

Loggerheads were selected as the official South Carolina state reptile in 1988, according to the SCDNR article. There has been an average of 3,378 nests every year over the last 10 years in the state.

Kemp’s ridleys are the rarest species of sea turtles. They do not normally nest in the state but can be found in inshore and nearshore waters.

Leatherbacks are unique because they do have a leathery shell instead of a hard shell, the article reads. They range from 800 - 1,300 pounds and reach six feet in shell length. It also states that the first Leatherback nest was documented in 1996.

Green sea turtles get their name from the green fat in their body due to their herbivorous diet, according to the SCDNR. They were also first documented nesting in the state in 1996.

SCDNR’s Tips:

• Do not bother sea turtles when walking on beach or nesting

• Do not shine lights on a sea turtle or take flash photography

• Turn out all lights visible from the beach, dusk to dawn, from May through October.

• Turn off all outdoor and deck lighting to reduce disorientation for nesting adults and hatchlings

• Close blinds and drapes on windows that face the beach or ocean

• Fill in holes on the beach at the end of each day to prevent turtles from getting stuck
  
  
• Do not leave chairs and tents on the beach overnightNever attempt to ride a sea turtle

More unique facts provided by SCDNR:

• Loggerheads are the most common sea turtle found in our state’s coastal waters and nesting on our beach
  
  

• Loggerhead hatchlings born on the beaches in South Carolina live the first years of their lives off the west coast of Africa

• Sea turtles have flippers instead of feet

• Sea turtles can’t retract their heads

Graham advises anyone that finds a nest to contact them or call the local authorities’ non-emergency line. People can also call SCDNR at 1-800-922-5431.