You will love the videos of turtle releases and a tour of the SC Aquarium's sea turtle hospital! Go to: sea turtle hospital

TURTLE SEASON

May-July:  Nests are Laid. 

MAM with sea turtle as she heads back home to the sea.

  We find the eggs!

   Now it's Barb's turn to
   find the eggs! 

MAM probing a nest to locate eggs.
Tee and Bev look on.

 MAM moves the eggs to safe location.

 Project Leader, Mary Pringle, checks to  be sure all is in order!

 July - October: Hatching Time

After the nest hatches, the turtle team must do an inventory.  These are done in the early morning. 

Inventories are special for children!

Tee at nest inventory--a hatchling! 

Kathey O"Connor released the hatchlings to  oohs and ahhs from children.

Claire, my daughter, is watching a sea turtle scramble to the sea during
the Labor Day inventory.

 The season is over!

The last nest of the season hatched on September 29th at five minutes after midnight. It was a cold, blustery night on the beach. Mary and Tee and been checking this nest for several days and sent word to the rest of the team as the hatching appeared imminent. For those of us (like me) who have been knee deep in work, we were grateful for the efforts of this intrepid pair to check the nest for us. When we got the call, we dashed to the beach to arrive at 7:30 pm, early enought "not to miss it."

Well, those wily turtles.... They made us wait. And wait. And wait. The wind was blowing hard and it was so cold! We huddled around the nest and even with my sweatshirt on, I was shivering and my sand-coated teeth were chattering. It was Sunday night and I had an important conference call the following morning, so I finally left at 11:30 pm. I felt certain those turtles would come out, but since there was not any concave or even a crack in the sand, I figured it wouldn't be until 1or 2 am or later. Off I went to home. I tell you--I was so cold I took a hot shower to wash the sand off, then put on warm jammies and socks, cuddled under my down blanket and drank a cup of hot milk!

I like to think I would have stayed longer if it were not for work, but truth be told, I was glad to be warm in my bed. So I'm all the more impressed that Grace--one of our true blue volunteers in her late eighties, stayed the course! It was her husband's Glenn's, 90th birthday on September 29th, and sure enough, five minutes into that glorious day, the turtles came out--ninety of them in a rush to the sea! Our team leader, Mary, was the only team member who remained! The rest of us left but she was determined that the hatchlings were coming out and that she would be there. That's why she's our leader. :)

Early this morning we had the season's final nest inventory. We all showed up to bid farewell to this lovely, albeit quiet, season with only fifteen nests. I say truely that it was the most beautiful morning I'd ever seen on the Isle of Palms. A great red sun was rising into a pink and azure sky, spreading her rays out upon the glistening sea and turning the shallow waters of the gulley that pearly pink that is other-worldly. Off in the distance, one shrimp boat had its nets spread out like butterfly wings, and up close, a muscled mastiff was chasing a ball along the beach, diving into the water with glee. It was like living in a scene from a movie.

One lone hatchling was rescued from the nest. Poor thing was sluggish and it had a small left flipper so the children named it "Nemo." He found his way to the surf, and hopefully will travel on to the Gulf Stream and the vast sargassum floats that is home to countless of his cousins. Bev took pictures, we hugged, promised to meet for off-season lunches, and headed for home. It's always bittersweet to end a turtle season. On the one hand we look forward to peaceful mornings without being called out and nights spent at home rather than on the beach. Yet by October the season's duties are part of our routine . Seeing the same faces day after day, sharing the thrill of the hunt, the delight in finding tracks and eggs, the comaraderie as we sit by the nests, and of course, the satisfaction that what we do is making a difference, all are feelings that are hard to relinquish.

For up to date information and photographs of the Isle of Palms/Sullivans Island Turtle Team go to www.bergwerfgraphics.com .

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Summer of 2004 Wrap Up!

It was a difficult season, with an onslaught of hurricanes and record low numbers of nests across the entire coast.  Despite this, the team did its best to monitor and protect the few nests we had. 

The Team

   Summer of 2005

                                A team photo at the end of this glorious season.

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Releases of rehabilitated sea turtles are moving experiences.Beverly Ballow and MAM at the SC Aquarium helping to prepare the loggerhead, Channel, for his release home to the sea!

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The release of a juvenile loggerhead, "Surfside," in August on Isle of Palms with MAM and Kelly Thorvalson of SC Aquarium.

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THE JEAN BEASELY SEA TURTLE HOSPITAL,  Topsail Beach, North Carolina

The Beasely Sea Turtle Hospital at Topsail Beach, NC is a remarkable rehabilitative facility for injured and sick sea turtles.  These are photographs taken while I helped and learned from Jean Beasely and all the wonderful volunteers.

MAM and the inspiring, dedicated Jean Beasley.                        

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