COASTAL OBSERVER

The number of sea turtles nests along the South Carolina coast is lagging behind last year.

“It’s a little bit slower than years past but we still have the month of August to go through,” said Rick Scott, who oversees the South Carolina United Turtle Enthusiasts, a group of volunteers who patrol beaches at dawn looking for nests. “The overall numbers are pretty low.”

Pawleys Island has had 19 nests. Last year the town had 32.

“We still have a couple more weeks,” said Mary Schneider, who oversees the town’s SCUTE volunteers. “We might get up 20 to 25.”

Two of the town’s nests have already hatched and been inventoried.

The first nest had a 63 percent hatch rate.

“That wasn’t as good as we hoped,” Schneider said.

Ninety-four percent of the eggs in the second nest hatched.

“That was good,” Schneider said. “We want to keep it up that way.”

Litchfield by the Sea, which had eight nests last year, finally got it first nest on Wednesday.

Scott said one issue is people on the beach, sometimes with flashlights, in the wee hours of the morning when turtles are most likely to be nesting.

“It’s our No. 1 false crawl issue,” Scott said.

It is possible, Scott added, that some of the turtles that might have nested at Litchfield by the Sea instead went ashore at Huntington Beach State Park. With 30 nests, the state park has surpassed its 2023 total of 21.

Although Hobcaw Beach has recorded 27 nests, which is already two more than last year, coyotes have gotten into seven nests so far.

“We have seen a lot more coyote activity than we have ever seen on our beaches,” said Mark Dupuis, who leads the SCUTE volunteers for DeBordieu, Prince George and Hobcaw Beach.

Some SCUTE volunteers have reported being followed by coyotes during their morning patrols on Hobcaw Beach. Dupuis advised them to carry airhorns.

After several nests lost about one-third of the eggs to coyotes before being relocated to higher ground, George Chastain, executive director of Hobcaw Barony, ordered traps to be put out.

“Fortunately he did jump on it right away,” Dupuis said.

Elsewhere on the Waccamaw Neck the nest totals are: North Island 154, Hobcaw Beach 27, DeBordieu 21, South Litchfield 9 and North Litchfield 3.

The state has recorded 4,507 nests. Last year there were 6,618 nests. 

This year’s total includes three leatherbacks, two greens and two Kemp’s Ridleys, which is the rarest and most endangered turtle species in the world. One of the Kemp’s Ridley nests was found in Huntington Beach State Park.

Two of the leatherback nests were in North Myrtle Beach. Last year there were no leatherback nests in the state.

Cape Island in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge leads the state with 1,213 nests. 

Garden City had the state’s first nest of this year on April 29.

There have also been 7,391 false crawls in the state, which happens when a turtle comes ashore but does not lay her eggs.

Nesting usually ends in mid-August. SCUTE volunteers will continue to walk until the last nest hatches.

To keep track of nesting and inventory activities in Georgetown and Horry counties, visit SCUTE’s page on Facebook.