Hatchlings, hatchlings, hatchlings

posted: August 23, 2023, 5:28 PM

Nesting season is almost over on our beach. The last nest laid this year was on August 10 (#69) -- we wait two weeks after that date to make it "officially" closed.

But this doesn't mean our work is over, there are many volunteers out on the beach each evening and the hatchling count is going up and up each day. Currently 39 of our 72 nests have hatched and so far 3911 hatchlings have gone into the ocean.

Nests are hatching earlier than normal this year--possibly because of the very hot weather. Typically, the "due dates" are 55 days after the mother turtle laid the nest, but this year many are going as early as day 48. We're beginning to expect the unexpected.

We've had three "wild nests" #70, #71 and #72---these are nests that we only know about when hatchlings were found. Shown in these photos are the Green Sea Turtles from nest #72. We primarily have Loggerhead turtles' nest on our beach, we're excited to have two Green Sea Turtles this year.

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