Turtle Talk

You know summer is coming when.....Our family was out walking on the beach early one morning in early May, and ran into a local resident doing the same. When we asked him what he was up to (we figured it might be a bit early for him...), he explained that he was out checking for turtles.

They're called Sea Turtles for short, but our area sees loggerhead turtles returning each year to lay their eggs in the beach dunes. Their general nesting schedule is from early May thru August. Then the baby turtles begin hatching in late July and continue through October.

We've watched a couple nests hatch over the years, and it is probably one of the most special times at the beach. The activity tends to start an hour or so after dark, and then perhaps 100 to 150 turtles smaller than your hand pop out of their shells. They then are escorted down the beach strand to the ocean's waters.

We're fortunate to have a very dedicated volunteer force that comprises our island's Turtle Patrol. Not only are they out early each morning checking the beach strand for Sunset and Bird Islands, but they monitor the turtle nests as they develop, educate the rest of us on the sea turtles, and work in conjunction with other area Patrols. They even maintain their own website-check it out when you have time.

Sunset Properties hosts a weekly event called 'Turtle Talk' on our main office's front porch Sunday night at 7 p.m. during the summer (weather permitting) that the Turtle Patrol conducts. They give about a 30 minute overview on the turtles, and have some great exhibits for the kids. Watch out for "Scratchy" as well-he usually livens up the event near the end! If you haven't been to one of these talks, try to stop by this year while you're at the beach.