Loggerhead Sea Turtles

Written by Anne Brophy Chetwynd

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A tiny loggerhead turtle hatches on the beach, rushes to the water, and makes her journey far out to sea, where she grows bigger and stronger in preparation for returning to the beach to lay her own eggs.

Sea turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, and many drown when caught accidentally by trawlers. The loggerhead sea turtle has been on the threatened species list since 1978.

Adult male loggerheads differ from females —they  have a much larger and stronger tail. The pair breeds at sea and the female comes ashore to nest. Loggerheads live exclusively in the water, and the females only come on land to lay their eggs (males typically don’t come ashore).

On Hilton Head, loggerheads nest between May and August, and  nest at night. The female crawls slowly to a dry part of the beach and begins to excavate a pit with her flippers. Generally, 110-120 eggs are laid per nest. Using her rear flippers, she then covers the egg cavity and throws sand over the nest to disguise it from predators. When the work is done, the female slowly returns to the sea. Some loggerheads nest every year, others nest in alternate years.

Egg incubation ranges from 55 to 60 days. When the small turtles begin to hatch, they use a sharp tooth to break open the shell. All of the hatchlings join together to dig out of the nest, which can take several days. The two-inch long hatchlings emerge from their sandy nest and scramble toward the sea. Hatchlings usually emerge from the nest at night and orient themselves toward the sea. Visible lights from buildings or streets near the beach disorient the hatchlings, and they wander inland. If they don’t make it to the ocean quickly, hatchlings will die of dehydration or be caught by predators.

It’s estimated that only one of a few thousand hatchlings survive to adulthood.

Do not shine any lights on or around a nesting turtle, she may abandon her effort to nest and don’t use flash photography. Stay behind the turtle so she cannot see you. Don’t touch or prod her to move. Stay out of the way as she crawls back to the water.

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The Town of Hilton Head Island requires that lights on structures visible from the beach be shielded or turned off after 10 p.m. from May 1 to October 31.

Any windows facing the beach must also be covered with draperies or shade screens.

The best way for you to save the turtles is lights out!

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Sources:  National Geographic, World Wildlife Fund and The Town of Hilton Head Island.