Even though we live on the water, it's not the same as the beach. We love walking the wild beach and my favorite is Hunting Island.
If we go early we have the beach to ourselves.
If one sailed straight over the horizon, one would come ashore in Portugal.
All along the beach in the summer giant sea turtles lumber up the sand at night to dig a nest, deposit their eggs, and cover the nest with sand. In the mornings volunteers patrol the beach and put up enclosures to protect the nests.
When it's about time for the babies to hatch, the screen at the bottom is removed so they can make their way back to the sea.
Adult loggerheads can weigh over 300 pounds, with shells up to four feet in length. South Carolina has averaged 3,378 nests per year over the last 10 years.
Besides monitoring nests, volunteers care for injured turtles. This one sustained injuries from a crab trap rope entangled around its flipper. The rope was imbedded in the flipper, cutting to the bone, and the tip was missing. It was treated successfully and released. (Photo from the South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources)
I hope I get to see a sea turtle in the wild some day.
Posted with Blogsy
Cynthia the beach seems so wild. The turtle is so huge I have never seen that before
ReplyDeleteThat looks like it is a fabulous unspoiled beach to walk. So is that the streetlights or the house lights that go out for the turtles?
ReplyDeleteNo lights may be on outdoors. They confuse the turtles.
DeleteWhat a beautiful beach. I hope you get to see a sea turtle in the wild, too!
ReplyDeleteImpressive photography indeed.
ReplyDeleteThat driftwood would be a dream for people who work with that
"cured" wood for their woodwork sculptures etc.Some artists are
really very good with driftwood work.
Great to know that the female turtles and their eggs are protected
from predators - 4 legged and 2 legged!! I know what I'd do to the two-legged
species and it is not fitting to place on the family oriented blog!
Hats off to the conservation department in South Carolina.
Funny - that if in a straight line - Portugal is on the other
side of the Atlantic - the waves on the Portuguese side are
much bigger - major World surfing carnivals for body and board surfers
are held off the Portuguese coast.
Cheers
Colin
PS: Cynthia: Today the winds have arrived - "Me no Happy Fella".
Gorgeous! That's my kind of beach.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful beach. On television I've often watched the amazing laying and hatching of eggs and migration of turtles back to the ocean. It's a wonderful scene.
ReplyDeleteIn South Carolina our favorite beach is Edisto, have you made it there yet? What do you think of our England in the Time of Richard III class?
ReplyDeleteI love your wild beach photos, Cynthia. When I visited FL several years ago, I saw the Loggerhead nests. The beachfront hotels did not use their outdoor lights after dark.
ReplyDeleteSea turtles are very majestic animals.
ReplyDeleteYou live in a beautiful and fascinating area.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to see some too and take a photo! What great beaches with interesting driftwood:)
ReplyDeleteI love to see all the driftwood on beaches. When we were in New Zealand, people made all sorts of patterns on the beaches with the driftwood.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy a wander along the beach and seeing the weird and wonderful shapes of the driftwood. If I spotted a turtle though he'd be very lost indeed.
ReplyDeleteWonderfull you have those turtles so close by, beautiful beaches.
ReplyDeleteLovely beach and lots of wood has drifted, wonder how far it came.
ReplyDeleteTurtles, how nice of the people to take care of the eggs, good to read that.
Hoping you get to see a sea turtle in the wild too. It really is a beautiful place to walk, stunning.
ReplyDeleteCynthia, what beautiful pictures. I'm glad for those who help the big sea turtles. Sea turtles look helpless and sweet and are often injured by nets and such. Hope you get to see one on the beach. I am still amazed at how you two started off in a cabin in the North Carolina mountains and many years later ended up together on an island in South Carolina. How romantic! I think you should write a book! :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful beach scenes a the volunteers are doing wonderful work....;)
ReplyDeleteThe driftwood makes great shots, so artistic. It is great to hear the turtles are being looked after. The same process goes on here up the Queensland coast at Monrepo beach
ReplyDeleteThat sand looks pristine with such fabulous driftwood scattered around. Hope you get to see the turtles during the breeding season.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful beach.
ReplyDeleteMiniature horses were fun. My foster daughter and grandson and I showed the horses, had tours and just lots of fun. When a small horse accidentally steps on you, it doesn't hurt as much.
Thanks for visiting.