A Special Turtle
If you walk along a Georgia beach in the fall you may see signs of hatching loggerhead sea turtles. Five species of sea turtles can be found in the waters off the coast of Georgia, but the loggerhead is the only species to nest here regularly and has been nesting here for centuries. When a female turtle is 30 to 35 years old, she will come ashore between May and September, dig a nest in the sand, lay 100 to 150 eggs, cover them with sand and go back to the sea. The babies hatch two months later, usually at night, and immediately head for the sea where they spend the rest of their lives. The mother turtle returns to the same beach every two to three years to lay eggs. The loggerhead is an endangered species and faces many threats. Coyotes, raccoons and feral hogs eat turtle eggs. In the sea, threats to the turtle include collisions with boat propellers, poaching, swallowing plastic floating in the ocean and accidental drowning in shrimp or fishing nets.
Viewer Tip: Never disturb a sea turtle that is crawling to or from the sea. Observe only from a distance and never touch or disturb nests or baby turtles. Do not leave plastic litter on the beach. You can help protect sea turtles and other non-game wildlife by purchasing a “Give Wildlife a Chance” license plate.
This information is provided by the Georgia Wildlife Federation. For more information, visit www.gwf.org.
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
(Source: Georgia Department of Natural Resources Web Site: www.georgiawildlife.org)
