Sea Turtles!

Thanks to EarthKeepers board member, Rick Frey, for this photo of the re-entry path of a sea turtle making her way back to the sea after laying her eggs. (Fernandina Beach, July 2012).

Although loggerheads are still listed as "endangered", the number of recorded nests found in Georgia has been on the rise over the last three years, with last year’s tally adding up to more than twice the number found in 2009. Cumberland Island averages more than 200 loggerhead nests annually, but this year experienced turtle-watching teams reported over 500 loggerhead nests. Although this year’s numbers on the Georgia Coast are lower than those from 2011, the nesting season is not over yet.

For only the second time in recorded history, Georgia welcomed a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle this year. The Kemp’s Ridley is the world’s most endangered sea turtle species and usually nests at beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the fate of the Kemp's Ridley seemed sealed - but there is hope.

The end of July heralded the first loggerhead hatchlings emergence from their buried nests on Tybee and other Georgia islands. The small turtles will be seen crawling across dozens of beaches in the coming weeks as they make their way home to sea so please remember the Light's Out rule if you see a female on the beach or hatchlings emerging.

During the nesting season, loggerheads can be disoriented by artificial lights such as streetlights, exterior lights on commercial building, headlights, high density dwellings and beach front homes - and the light from these man-made sources will lead them away from the ocean or deter them from nesting. People on or near the beach using flashlights, bonfires, landscape lighting or camera-flashes can also disorient loggerhead hatchlings for they require the ocean's natural light to navigate from the nest towards the sea but will crawl towards the brightest light source. So as tempting as it may be to capture a photo or get a closer look with your flashlight, please don't. A life may depend on it.