Nesting Season 2006

Sea turtle nesting season along the Georgia coast officially begins in May  each year.  Trained volunteers and TIMSC staff complete dawn patrol each morning from May 1 through the end of August.  Dawn patrol requires walking the full length of Tybee Beach starting at 6 am to look for turtle tracks left by nesting females the night before. 

Nest 1, found May 21 in the North Beach area, is expected to hatch between July 11 and August 4.

Whitney Harris, Dawn Patrol Volunteer, discovered the first crawl of the season on Tybee.  The turtle had emerged just after high tide leaving a classic crawl with just one body pit.  Although it took some time, a nest was located. 

Update: Nest 1 hatched around 11:30 pm on July 17. 

Total # of eggs: 130

Number of eggs hatched: 107

Hatching success: 82.3%

Nest 2 was found on June 2 on south beach.  It is expected to hatch between July 22 and August 16.

Linda Wright, Dawn Patrol Volunteer, discovered the crawl early Friday morning.  The turtle did not crawl above the highest tide line, putting the nest at risk for washout.  The nest was relocated to the 9th Street area.

Update: Nest 2 hatched around 8:30 pm on July 28. 

Total # of eggs: 117

Number of eggs hatched: 112

Hatching success: 95.7%

Nest 3 was located in front of Sea Dawgs on June 9, one week after nest 2.  It is expected to hatch between July 29 and August 23.

Sandi Postle, Dawn Patrol Volunteer, was excited to find these tracks on the morning of her patrol.  This nest was not safe from high tide, so it was relocated as well. 

Update: Nest 3 hatched sometime on July 30. 

Total # of eggs: 136

Number of eggs hatched: 104

Hatching success: 76.5%

Nests on Tybee are relocated when they are found below the high spring tide line.  Each egg is carefully removed from the original site and placed in a bucket lined with sand.  A new location is chosen based on the tide line, dunes, and light issues in the area.  The new nest is dug to be similar in depth, and each egg is delicately placed in the new site. 

Nest 4: On June 12, Shannon Richter found the tracks to nest 4 on her very first dawn patrol.  The nest was located almost in the exact same spot as nest 3.  Because the site was well below the highest tide line, a total of 86 eggs were moved to the 9th Street area.  The expected hatch date for this nest is from August 1 through 26. 

Update: Nest 4 hatched around 8:30 pm on August 1. 

Total # of eggs: 80

Number of eggs hatched: 60

Hatching success: 75.0%

Nest 10! On July 16, Pat Cummings found a crawl near 2nd Street.  Although all the signs of a turtle nest were there, volunteers & staff could not locate the nest.  The site was still marked and observed daily.  On August 4, the site proved to be a nest with lots of hatchling tracks.  Unfortunately, light pollution from the surrounding development drew the hatchlings in all directions, including Butler Avenue.  Volunteers gathered stranded hatchlings and released them in the ocean.  Only 3 were found that did not make it.

Update: This "Unknown" site hatched on August 4. 

Total # of eggs: 126

Number of eggs hatched: 117

Hatching success: 92.9%

Nest 5 was found near 10th street safely above the high tide line on June 27.  The expected hatch date range is from August 26 through September 20.  

Michaela Cole, Dawn Patrol Volunteer, reported this nest and a false crawl that morning.  A false crawl is when a turtle crawls ashore but does not leave a nest. 

Update: Nest 5 hatched around 4:30 am on August 16. 

Total # of eggs: 122

Number of eggs hatched: 120

Hatching success: 98.4%

Nest 6 was found on June 29 in front of The Desoto Hotel.  The expected hatch date range is from August 28 through September 19.  

Rob McLellan, Dawn Patrol Volunteer, reported this nest just 2 days after nest 5.  The nest was located right at the spring high tide line, so following DNR's protocol, it was left in place.

Update: Nest 6 hatched around 9:30 pm on August 20. 

Total # of eggs: 117

Number of eggs hatched: 35

Hatching success: 29.9%

Do you see the turtle tracks in this picture?  This crawl was found on July 4 after the night of fireworks on Tybee.  The turtle had to crawl over 2 large holes, a rusty bike tire, and lots of garbage.  Needless to say, she did not leave a nest.  Please remember to pick up after yourself and flatten out any sand castles or fill in holes when leaving the beach! 

Nest 7 was found on July 14 in front of Beachside Colony.  Because it was below the high spring tide line, the nest was relocated to the 7th Street area with the assistance of Todd Smith and Pat Cummings.

Update: Nest 7 hatched some time on the night of August 29. 

Total # of eggs: 104

Number of eggs hatched: 74

Hatching success: 71.2%

Nest 8 was found on July 17 in the north beach area by Cheryl Tilton on Dawn Patrol.  Kristin Bartoo found the nest site and marked it off.  Thank you ladies for your hard work in my absence!

Update: Nest 8 hatched on the evening of September 3.  One of Tybee's very own council members, Shirley Session, was on site to witness the turtles crawl to the sea. 

Total # of eggs: 113

Number of eggs hatched: 89

Hatching success: 78.8%

Unknown B was found just 2 days later south of Nest 8 in the north beach area.  Although there was clearly a body pit, eggs were not located, so the site was marked as an unknown. 

Could this be Nest 11?  The expected hatch date range is September 3-23.  TIMSC staff will watch this area closely for signs of hatchlings! 

Update: Unfortunately this site was completely washed out by the storm surge brought in by Hurricane Florence.

Nest 9 was found on July 22 just south of 8th Street.  The site was below the high tide line, so the nest was moved higher on the beach to protect it from wash out.  It is expected to hatch between September 5 and 25.  

Update: The final nest hatched some time on the night of September 7 during a thunderstorm.

Total # of eggs: 136

Number of eggs hatched: 117

Hatching success: 86.0%

Interested in previous nesting seasons? 

2004 Nesting Season                 2005 Nesting Season