Once the sun goes down and beachgoers have left for the day, the stage is set for nesting sea turtles to make their way up the beach to lay their clutch of eggs. After finding a nesting site that\u2019s dark and quiet, the female may lay an average of 110 eggs per clutch, and 4 clutches per season. Loggerheads are also known to nest at least once on what is considered their natal beach, or the beach where they themselves hatched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If sea turtles are disturbed while nesting, they will return to the water and try again later that night or within a few days.\u00a0 The egg\u2019s survival is dependent on whether or not the sea turtle finds a fitting site to nest, so it is crucial that our beaches maintain the necessary conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Lights Out<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYou might\u2019ve already heard the term, \u201cLights Out for Sea Turtles!\u201d Although it doesn\u2019t necessarily affect the interior of the island, it\u2019s important for everyone to know. Beaufort County has a lighting ordinance set from May to October that prohibits visible light on beaches, including houses, resorts, as well as flashlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is this important? Not only do nesting sea turtles keep away from brightly-lit areas on the beach, there\u2019s a possibility that once hatched, the babies might get distracted by other light sources that are in the opposite direction of where they need to go. \u00a0Sea turtles are phototactic creatures, meaning that they are drawn to light.\u00a0 In this case, baby sea turtles are hard-wired to know that if they follow the moonlight reflecting on the ocean\u2019s waves, they\u2019ll make it to the water\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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