Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Posted on June 6, 2007 | Filed Under Daily Journal
Observations: We left the Turtle House at 5:15 A.M., I monitored North Beach and Katy monitored South Beach entering at South Beach Entrance at approximately 06:00.
North Beach was monitored by entering at Seaside Ramp, driving northward through the boneyard and on to St. Catherines Sound, then returning during daylight along the entire length of North Beach. This was the first day of inshore shrimping, we had six trawlers off North Beach this morning.
South Beach had one nest, 07-008 that was deposited last night near the south end of South Beach at [31.56357 N, 81.15766 W] in heavy minerals held together by an armoring of palm logs. The clutch was located by Katy with the magic Ti Shovel and relocated to a slightly higher and more secure site nearby.
Nest 07-008 illustrates the efforts a loggerhead sea turtle will go to nest. This turtle crossed through a tree-boneyard, over several palm logs, dug her egg chamber in a heavy mineral deposit, and deposited 124 eggs. The standing tree near the crawlway used to be behind the first dunes and was formerly the site of raccoon trapping on South Beach.
Nesting is down significantly along the Georgia Coast, about 33% of normal. St. Catherines Island is following this trend with 33% of our nests at this time last year. We think the low nesting is normal at this time … every fourth year, or so, is a low year. We have decided to practice ultra conservative conservation this year and assure as many hatchling make it into the ocean as is possible, not taking any chances that we can avoid.
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