US- S. Carolina: Hilton Head Patroller Monitors Nests
Sea Turtle Caper
Kyla Grogan
WSAV News 3
Friday, August 19, 2005
Every morning at 5 AM Carlos Chacon starts up the atv and heads to the beach to monitor endangered sea turtle nests. Life as a sea turtle isn't easy, the entire season of hatchlings may only produce 2 adults.
"One hatchling out of a hundred will survive to be 3 days old, one out of ten thousand will survive to be adult age," says Chacon.
But now the odds of survival have gotten even worse thanks to poachers who have stolen nearly a thousand eggs from the Hilton Head Island nests.
"What benefit, for what reason? What would you mess with the environment for?" asked Steve Parisi a visitor from New Jersey.
"By losing that many eggs," Chacon continued, "we really reduce the chance of producing an adult turtle out of the hatchlings that will come out this year."
Sea turtles have survived for a hundred million years, their existence pre-dates humans on Hilton Head Island. But their population is declining three percent a year, due in large part to human interference.
Another hazard that the tiny sea turtle babies face is something you might not even have thought of - sandcastles. People dig big holes in the sand when they're having fun during the day, but they don't realize, the sea turtles get trapped in the holes on their way to the ocean. They also walk towards lights from houses mistaking them for moonlight when they emerge from the nest.
"If you are staying in a beachfront house or live in front of the beach turn the lights that are facing the beach off from dark until the next morning, that will solve the problem, it's a very easy solution." suggests Chacon.
"Sea turtles serve a role in the ocean," he continued. "They are predators, they eat other animals and they regulate the populations, and they're also I'd say a big source of inspiration. If you ever see a sea turtle you will remember it forever."
Sea turtles are protected by federal laws in the United States. If you see anyone disturbing their nests, you are urged to help out by calling the Department of Natural Resources Hotline at 1-800-922-5431.
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