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Those lovable loggerheads: They’ve become as much a symbol of coastal South
Carolina as the palmetto tree.
They’re on towels, T-shirts and license plates. This summer, Charleston will
stage a public art program, Turtles on the Town. It’s similar to the
Palmetto tree program a few years back in the Midlands, with painted
fiberglass loggerheads showing up all over town.
And if you get up early enough, you might even see a real loggerhead on the
beach. Of course, you’d have to be pretty lucky, too. Turtle patrol members
walk their section of the beach every day during the summer and spot only a
few turtles or new turtle nests a season.
Turtle-lovers who live on the beaches have organized the turtle patrols to
help protect the endangered species. They head out every morning in the
early summer to check for the tracks momma loggerheads leave in the sand as
they head to and from the dunes for egg-laying duty.
The volunteers either mark the egg-filled turtle nests to warn people to
keep kids and dogs away from them, or they dig up the eggs and move them to
safer locations away from the threatening surf.
Some of the volunteer organizations encourage visitors. Even those who try
to get their non-paying jobs done quickly so they can head to their paying
jobs usually are willing to talk with curious turtle lovers.
Here’s a rundown of turtle watch Web sites and public turtle watch programs:
Hunting Island, Edisto Beach state parks: The best places for public
participation in turtle patrols are the state parks. At Hunting Island and
Edisto Beach, special programs are scheduled just after dark from mid-summer
on allowing participants to help hatchlings get to the water. By standing
around as the turtles skitter to the water, people keep predators such as
raccoons and birds away. Go to www.huntingisland.com/loggerhead.htm for
information on the Hunting Island program.
Kiawah: This island south of Charleston has some of the healthiest
dunes in the state, and thus some of the best turtle nest habitat. The main
turtle patrol uses a pickup truck to cover more beach quickly each morning.
So you won’t spot many turtle trackers then. But island visitors are
encouraged to tag along on the hatchling walks in the evening later in the
summer. For details, go to www.kiawahturtles.com.
Fripp Island: The turtle patrol on this private resort next to
Hunting Island encourages participation for island visitors on its Web site,
www.islc.net/~fripplog.
Folly Beach and Isle of Palms: Go to www.follyturtles.com and you’ll
discover they’ve already found their first nest of the season. The Isle of
Palms Web site, web.ccgnet.com/turtleteam, isn’t quite as extensive. Both
the Folly and Isle of Palms turtle watch programs are set up more with
turtles in mind than tourists. But if you visit those beaches, get up before
sunrise and walk the shore. You’ll probably run into one of the turtle watch
volunteers.
S.C. Aquarium: If you don’t get to see a loggerhead on your beach
trip, you can stop by the S.C. Aquarium in Charleston to see theirs. Or you
can go to their Web site, www.scaquarium.org, to check out information on
their turtle hospital and view videos of their releases of rehabilitated
turtles to the wild.
S.C. Department of Natural Resources: If you want the scientific
story on loggerheads, go to the DNR Web site, www.dnr.sc.gov/seaturtle/. The
underwater videos of turtles in the wild are awesome.
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