The first nest of the season on the north strand was laid yesterday afternoon on North Myrtle Beach. AND IT WAS A KEMPS RIDLEY, the most endangered of the sea turtles. Also one of the smallest - adults usually weigh about 75 to 100 pounds. Another somewhat unusual fact is that they are often daytime nesters and this turtle was no exception. She came onto the beach in North Myrtle Beach around 5 pm last evening in front of a large high rise building.
The Beach Patrol was on hand to keep bystanders back while she laid her nest. The NMB Sea Turtle Patrol was on hand too and were able to relocate 95 eggs to a safer location along the beach.
These turtles are similar to loggerheads in that they can lay a new nest every 2 to 3 weeks. We should keep this in mind when patrolling on Waties; if she were to come in during the day and it went undiscovered until the following morning, the tracks could be hard to see. Look sharp!
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