Summer Saga: The Turtle Lady
By Mary Alice Monroe
E
very April I gaze out at the sea, anticipation
bubbling in my veins, knowing that my girls
are coming back. This is when the loggerhead
sea turtles begin gathering in the swells off
our South Carolina coastline to breed and forage. Mating is
a tempestuous affair during which the male fertilizes all the
eggs—some seven hundred—which the female will lay in
the upcoming season. After mating, the male swims off and
the female remains offshore while her eggs develop. Only the
solitary female will venture onto the beach to follow millions
of years of instinct to nest near the beach of her birth.
Mid to late May is when the first nests appear on South
Carolina beaches along with the summer beach crowds.
That signals the beginning of turtle duty for the Island Turtle
Team and me. During the season I am awakened early in the
morning when a call comes in to check on reported turtle
tracks spotted on the islands. Excitement thrums in my veins.
I spring from bed, gulp coffee, put a hat over my unbrushed
hair, grab my backpack and rush out the door to meet the
team, all five of us licensed by the South Carolina Department
of Natural Resources to report and protect loggerhead nests.
Dawns are breathtaking on the islands. The team walks a
beaten sandy path, often with a light breeze to greet us. The
air is fresh before the humidity that will rise higher with the
sun. Birds hidden in the thick overgrowth of wax myrtles,
palms, and vines call out with morning whistles. The beach
path gradually opens up to reveal a glistening sea. The vista
never fails to take my breath away. The tracks are easy to find.
We note the field signs then take turns probing to locate the
eggs. Who will find them? If the nest is in a safe spot above
the spring tide line, we leave it “in situ” and mark it with an
orange sign that indicates the nest is protected by federal law.
Loggerheads are a threatened species. Any tampering with
nests, eggs or turtles carries a significant penalty. That goes for
ghost crabs, too! Whenever possible we leave the nest in situ.
However when the nest is located below the tide line where it
can be washed over repeatedly by the ocean, or when it is in
an area deemed not safe, the team will relocate the nest to a
suitable spot on the dunes. Problems occur in locations where
the nest might be crushed by pedestrians and bicyclists, or
disturbed by dogs, raccoons, or other predators. We move
the nests with great care and our success rate with moved
nests is as good as nests left in situ. Seeing a loggerhead come
ashore to nest is rare. A combination of good luck and God’s
good grace is required. I’ve been fortunate to see the ritual
several times and each time feels like a blessing. Watching
a loggerhead emerge from the black sea, my breath stops. I
hunker down, afraid to move lest I disturb her in any way.
The sea turtle won’t risk the dangers of leaving the sea, her
home, to come ashore if there are strange movements or
Mary Alice Monroe is an award winning, bestselling author of nearly 20 novels and
children’s books who makes her home on the Isle of Palms. She has explored the problems
of endangered sea turtles, raptors, the indigenous grass and endangered ecosystem and the
rivers and mountains of North Carolina. Publisher’s Weekly wrote, “Monroe is in her element
when describing the wonders of nature and the ways people relate to it.” She is a dedicated
member of the Isle of Palms/Sullivan’s Island Turtle Team and serves on the Board of the
South Carolina Aquarium. Find out more about her at www.maryalicemonroe.com.
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Naturally Kiawah