We have not had 50 nests in one year since 2000. This morning a Green Turtle nest was found - number 91!
Turtle Season May 1 through Oct. 31, 2012
- Thread starter Abby Prentiss
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Turtle nests and Isaac?
Does anyone know if Turtle Watch is going to relocate eggs from nests or do they just let nature take its course and let them get destroyed....I really hope they save some of the nest but would understand if they take a hands off approach.
Does anyone know if Turtle Watch is going to relocate eggs from nests or do they just let nature take its course and let them get destroyed....I really hope they save some of the nest but would understand if they take a hands off approach.
South Walton Turtle Watch has saved several hundred hatchlings from drowning by digging nests that had already shown signs of the eggs hatching (live hatchlings in the nest). The rest are not viable and nature must take it's course.
Only nests that are over 50 days can be moved.
SWTWG had 96 sea turtle nests before Hurricane Isaac hit.
3 nests had washed away in TS Debbie
59 Nest had either hatched or been dug for evaluation before H Isaac\
After Isaac
11 Nest have completely washed away
1 nest the eggs were washing but found and reburied
1 nest hatched this morning 8-28-2012
16 nests had water over them and for how long a period we do not know. The longer the water over them the less likely they are to hatch.
Only 5 nests did not have water over them.
So SWTWG is doing what they always to and walking each morning now looking for nest hatchings and are hopeful.
3 nests had washed away in TS Debbie
59 Nest had either hatched or been dug for evaluation before H Isaac\
After Isaac
11 Nest have completely washed away
1 nest the eggs were washing but found and reburied
1 nest hatched this morning 8-28-2012
16 nests had water over them and for how long a period we do not know. The longer the water over them the less likely they are to hatch.
Only 5 nests did not have water over them.
So SWTWG is doing what they always to and walking each morning now looking for nest hatchings and are hopeful.
Better news than I expected....
Thanks for the update Kurt. I agree...better news than I would have thought.
The evaluation is from Sharon Maxwell with South Walton Turtle Watch. There are also some nests in the State Parks.
More details from Marla
http://www.sowal.com/story/sea-turtle-update-after-hurricane-isaac
http://www.sowal.com/story/sea-turtle-update-after-hurricane-isaac
Update from Sharon:
Sometime durning Hurricane Isaac I got a phone call from the LifeGuards near our nest #62, didn't know the nest number at the time. They were finding washing eggs, they wondered what to do.
I told them to gather the eggs and put them into a bucket. I called Joyce and she went down and got the eggs, and reburied them, all 72, at the top of a Dune, far out of the storms way. This area we were checking daily also. Well, God, is good and these eggs hatched. The hatchlings had to slip down a large drop off but they did and went to the water.
70 of the eggs hatched, 1 was alive in the nest. and 1 was a non hatched egg. Can you believe it, I find it hard to. Great job Joyce on doing exactly what I ask you to do and making a fine second nest. So eggs can be reburied and hatch. Aren't we lucky, and the sun is out. Cheers to a great bunch of volunteers.
Sometime durning Hurricane Isaac I got a phone call from the LifeGuards near our nest #62, didn't know the nest number at the time. They were finding washing eggs, they wondered what to do.
I told them to gather the eggs and put them into a bucket. I called Joyce and she went down and got the eggs, and reburied them, all 72, at the top of a Dune, far out of the storms way. This area we were checking daily also. Well, God, is good and these eggs hatched. The hatchlings had to slip down a large drop off but they did and went to the water.
70 of the eggs hatched, 1 was alive in the nest. and 1 was a non hatched egg. Can you believe it, I find it hard to. Great job Joyce on doing exactly what I ask you to do and making a fine second nest. So eggs can be reburied and hatch. Aren't we lucky, and the sun is out. Cheers to a great bunch of volunteers.