Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Waiting Room

North Myrtle Beach Sea Turtle Patrol has been waiting...and waiting. Our first nest is 53 days old and showing signs that it could be any night now. Usually nests don't hatch until day 55 through 60, but the weather has been unusually hot and dry. Those are two conditions that can speed up the process.
We started watching the nest closely Sunday, July 3rd, after a crack started to form around the nest cavity. We could hear some activity through a listening device under the sand, but nothing happen.

Then we started worrying and planning...What if they emerged 4th of July! When the beach was packed, noisy and fully of flashlights! It could be a disaster. But we got lucky. For once, I was happy they didn't emerge.
So now we continue to watch and wait. The crack around the cavity is getting bigger and there is a more defined depression. Like a nervous dad in the waiting room, I'll be at the nest tonight hoping for the best. If you come to visit the nest, please remember to give us our space. We are using very sensitive listening devices that pick up every footstep and voice. Please remember to keep flashlights and flash photography away from the nest too. If you do have a flashlight, make sure it has a red cover on it.