Hey everyone, summer is basically here and while that means beautiful beach and boat days it also means sea turtle season. I occasionally see posts about people saying they caught or at least saw a sea turtle while out fishing so I figured I would give y’all some turtle info. The sea turtles showed up earlier than expected this year due to this warm weather and we’re already receiving daily reports. We are still getting lots of reports of Leatherbacks feeding heavily on cannonball jellyfish offshore, and many Kemps Ridley sea turtles have been caught from fishing piers throughout the state. Also Loggerheads will begin nesting in the next few weeks which will bring lots of turtles into our inshore and nearshore waters. If you catch a sea turtle or see one that is injured or dead please report it to the SC DNR at 1-800-922-5431.
All sea turtle species are still considered endangered in SC waters but all populations are showing an increasing trend. Because they are such long lived animals and don’t reach sexual maturity until they are at least 25 years old, we are just now beginning to see the upwards trend in population numbers resulting from the conservation programs created 30 years ago (TED’s, nesting protection projects, and the sea turtle stranding and salvage network).
I know that one of those big ones suddenly popping up a few dozen yds in front of your boat while you’re cruising through one of the inlets will certainly make your butt pucker up…
80 years ago? nobody knows. I have read some studies that suggest that sea turtles have made a huge comeback , but its not good political form to say anything that might threaten all the bureaucrats & fund raising jobs. Its not that I want to harm turtles - but I don’t want useless spending of out tax $$$
Many years ago they were on the menu for lunch on shrimp boats! I just looked it up - Not all turtles are endangered - but the turtle lobby is against any data collection. Jobs & paychecks are at stake
I saw one today in the Ashley River. Just on the Harbor side of the Hwy. 17 bridges. I couldn’t believe it at first. Maybe that’s common, but it’s the first one I’ve seen in the river. He was beautiful.
80 years ago? nobody knows. I have read some studies that suggest that sea turtles have made a huge comeback , but its not good political form to say anything that might threaten all the bureaucrats & fund raising jobs. Its not that I want to harm turtles - but I don’t want useless spending of out tax $$$
Which studies specifically? I’d like to read them too.
80 years ago? nobody knows. I have read some studies that suggest that sea turtles have made a huge comeback , but its not good political form to say anything that might threaten all the bureaucrats & fund raising jobs. Its not that I want to harm turtles - but I don’t want useless spending of out tax $$$
Which studies specifically? I’d like to read them too.
I don't recall specifically. It was a publication I read in my Dr's office while awaiting a dreaded rubber glove procedure. If I can find it again , I'll let you know. So what is your contention? Have the past 30 years of fund raising & protections helped or been a failure?
I actually saw one solitary baby making its way from the dunes to the water at dawn on SI last year. He was either a straggler or an early hatcher as i know its unusual to just see one new hatchling. The turtle volunteer seem very serious and not particularly friendly in my experience.
Between 30’ and 150 ’ I have seen so many - infact, I was on a vessel that struck a turtle. My issue with sea turtles is - Do we have any good data on numbers? Do tax dollars pay any part for the protection? and why is this effort limited to sea turtles? I know SC has laws preventing the commercial harvest of fresh water turtles - but it seems that this is the only protection in place. Why don’t the turtle patrol protect freshwater sliders, Soft shells, alligator snappers, Eastern box turtles, and mud turtles? It seems that only sea turtles get the warm fuzzy treatment. Wonder if the “sea turtle hospitals” will take in a big mean gator snapper, and have a warm fuzzy release party at a swamp edge?
All I know is they are pain to haul in a boat and try to remove a hook out of… Seen a few off the Folly Pier, tons of those cannonball jellyfish everywhere.
“When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.” - Thomas Paine
Those are fair game!