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Sponsored by the Tybee Arts Association
Email: turtles@rammb.com
Photo by Rob McLellan, volunter for TIMSC Sea Turtle Project
About the Real Turtles
Loggerhead and leatherback turtles still nest on Tybee, as well as along other Georgia beaches and barrier islands, but their numbers are dwindling every year. Volunteers on Tybee perform a dawn patrol, and a few particularly dedicated volunteers kayak over to check Little Tybee for signs that these magnificent turtles have visited the beach during the night to create a nest and lay their eggs. After nearly two months, the eggs hatch and the new turtles make a dash for the sea in the night. However, they head for the nearest light, expecting the brightest light to come from the shining of the stars and the moon on the sea, but street lamps, bright shop signs, parking lots, and even porch lights on the beach can confuse the little ones, sending them scuttling to an untimely end on land. So when the nests are due to hatch, more volunteers spend their nights at these nests, shading any nearby lights to make sure the turtles make it to the sea.
The sea turtle nesting season runs from May through October.
Although Diamondback Terrapins are not an endangered species, they face particular difficulty on the strand linking Tybee to the nearby islands. The terrapins try to cross the road to nest, and their young cross back over after hatching, and they all cross at whatever time suits them. Unfortunately, drivers traveling the speed limit on this stretch of road are unable to swerve and maintain safe control of their vehicles in order to miss the turtles. So, another group of stalwart local volunteers have taken it upon themselves to try to guarantee safe passage of the terrapins across Route 80. Please slow down in the summer months to keep the turtles, the volunteers, and yourself safe!
These species are certainly not the only ones in the world that are threatened by changes that people are wreaking on their environment. If you'd like to volunteer to help out either of these efforts, you can visit the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, and be sure to check out the log of the 2005 nesting season. The 2006 nesting season has begun - learn more at TIMSC's Sea Turtle Project Page. To learn more about the turtles along Georgia's Barrier Islands, as well as other sea turtles around the world, check out:
N.E.S.T.S. at http://www.tybeemsc.org/turtles_n.e.s.t.s.html
Georgia DNR's Leatherback Turtles page
Read about Owen, a baby hippo, who was adopted by Mzee, a 130 year old tortoise, in Kenya at http://www.owenandmzee.com/omweb/home.html
This site created and maintained by Tybee Island Online.
All rights reserved. Copyright 2005.