Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Returning Home
From May to October each year, Fripp Island experiences a wonder of nature. It is during this time that the loggerhead sea turtles return to nest. Each year dozens of adult females come ashore, on various stretches of beach, to lay a clutch of 100 or more eggs. Many of these females were born on the island only to return some 20 to 30 years later to nest.
Each female will nest and lay eggs 3-5 times each season, digging an egg chamber near dunes away from rising tides. After laying her eggs, the turtle will return to the ocean before returning 12 to 14 days later to build another nesting spot. After the final nesting, turtles return to the ocean and will repeat the cycle every 2-4 years.
Hatchlings
A sea turtle egg will incubate in about 60 days. This varies a bit with temperature, with warmer conditions leading to faster development of the embryos. Interestingly, cooler sand has a tendency to produce more males, while warmer sand produces more females. Once an embryos has fully developed, the hatchlings break out of their shell using “a temporary, sharp egg-tooth, called a ‘caruncle.’ The caruncle is an extension of the upper jaw that falls off soon after birth.” (conserveturtles.org) Now out of their shells, the little hatchlings somehow know to emerge from the sand. Usually emerging at night when the temperature is milder, they dig their way up through about 18” of sand. As a group, the newborns paddle their way to the top before beginning their journey across the sand. This process of emerging can take several days.
Heading to Sea
The journey to the sea is no small task for these little creatures. They must move quickly so as not to get dehydrated or become prey to birds or crabs. As mentioned earlier, many sea turtles return to the beach where they were born. Some scientists believe this is due to a turtle’s ability to read the earth’s magnetic field, while others believe the hatchlings takes an imprint of their birth beach, smell, sound, even celestial cues, while making the trek from nest to water. All pretty amazing, nonetheless.
What to Know
Here on Fripp Island, we are blessed to be a key location for loggerhead nesting along the east coast of the US. With that, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of their habitat and respect their space. To that effort we have the Fripp Island Loggerhead Patrol, made up of volunteers, which monitors and marks nests along the beaches each day throughout the season.
See their photo albums and logs:
Thank you, Fripp Island Loggerhead Patrol! We really appreciate all of your hard work.
If you are fortunate and see an adult female nesting, or traveling to or from the ocean, it is very important to maintain a 20’ distance and be sure to stay clear of her path. Also, do not use flashlights while walking on the beach. If you encounter the hatchlings rising from the sand, or making their way to the water, do not get near and, again, do not use any lighting. Hatchlings rely on the moon over the water to guide their way and can get easily turned around if another light source is nearby.
If you see a hatchling moving away from the ocean, DO NOT pick it up, as it is against federal law to touch a sea turtle without the proper permit. If you see a hatchling and are worried about the direction in which it is moving, please call Fripp Island Security or the Activity Center at (843)-838-1516. (Source: Fripp Island Resort)
The wonders of Fripp island are abundant and the seasonal nesting of loggerhead sea turtles is no exception. Enjoy from a distance and share in the amazing process that has been going on for more than 100 million years!
🌿 Wildlife Wednesday: Loggerhead Sea Turtle 🐢
Along our beautiful South Carolina coast, we’re lucky to share our beaches with the incredible loggerhead sea turtle.
Each year from May through October, these gentle giants return to the Grand Strand to nest—often coming back to the very same shoreline where they were born. It’s one of the most amazing natural cycles happening right in our backyard.
A few things that make them so special:
✨ They can live 50+ years
✨ Females lay around 100 eggs per nest
✨ Hatchlings use the moonlight to find their way to the ocean
✨ They play a vital role in keeping our marine ecosystem healthy
As locals and beach lovers, we can all do our part to protect them 💚
✔ Turn off beachfront lights at night
✔ Fill in holes and flatten sandcastles
✔ Respect marked nesting areas
It’s moments like these that remind us just how special coastal living truly is.
📍 From Garden City Beach to Pawleys Island, we’re proud to call this coastline home.
🏡 Coast to Country Group Realty
🌐 www.coasttocountrygroup.com
#WildlifeWednesday #LoggerheadTurtle #CoastalLiving #GrandStrand #SouthCarolinaCoast BeachLife CoastToCountry
The Loggerhead sea turtle has been crossing oceans for millions of years — now its journey is becoming increasingly fragile! 🐢
From plastic pollution to fishing nets and warming seas, this ancient traveller faces growing human-made threats.
Yet there is still hope, driven by conservation, awareness, and collective action.
Discover more about this remarkable species in our latest magazine feature! 🖇️ 🌊 (LINK IN BIO)
#consciousexplorer #loggerheadturtle #seaturtles #conservation #marineprotection
Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and much smaller hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Not really sure what the interaction we are seeing here is, doecayman any ideas?
Thank you cjkuan for the video
#caymanislands #seaturtle #loggerheadturtle #tortugadivers #hawksbillseaturtle
Diving deep into the underwater world through the eyes of a Loggerhead Turtle
This ultra-realistic POV journey captures the beauty of marine life like never before — from peaceful ocean floors to crowded turtle gatherings filled with natural interactions, family bonds, and even a few territorial clashes. Every movement, every detail, feels raw and real, just like a true wildlife documentary.
Experience the ocean the way a turtle does.
#LoggerheadTurtle #OceanLife #MarineBiology #WildlifeDocumentary #UnderwaterWorld #NatureLovers #SeaTurtles #OceanExploration #WildlifePhotography #DeepSea #AnimalPOV #NatureDocumentary #MarineLife #OceanVibes #WildlifeFilm
💥Ignite: 🚯🐢Marine litter can shift sea turtle nests toward the shoreline
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https://vist.ly/4zy48
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#CoastalSqueeze #InundationRisk #LoggerheadTurtle #NestSiteSelection #NestingBehaviour #PlasticPollution
Residents are urged not to return stranded hatchlings to the ocean, but to get them to a vet as quickly as possible.
#LoggerheadTurtle #TurtleRescue #EasternCapeCoast #MarineConservation #WildlifeRescue
The Kickstarter exclusive is here! And this one is tied to Charli’s Safari and the Loggerhead Turtle Tracks 🐢
Moms, you already know… cute, easy bows that your girls will actually keep in are a total win. Simple, adorable, and made for everyday chaos and cuteness.
These are ONLY available through Kickstarter, so once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Less than 2 days until launch 🚀 and we are so close to bringing this story to life.
If you want in early, the Kickstarter link is in the bio.
Who’s ready? 🐢✨
#charlisafari #childrensbooks #loggerheadturtle
Good morning
#loggerheadturtle #seaturtle #divewithturtles #underwatervideo #cozumeldiving
Waking up with the loggerheads at Heron Island.
Shot on the Canon EOS R5 Mark II inside the Sea & Sea MDX-R5II housing, paired with the Canon RF 7–14mm lens, lit with Sea & Sea YS-D130R Pro strobes.
#heronisland #greatbarrierreef #loggerheadturtle #underwaterphotography
...no rush, just passing through 🐢🐢
#scubadiving #scubafriends #oceanlover #underwaterworld #loggerheadturtle
The Fripp Island Resort offers a Turtle Walk nature program to visit the nests and learn about these magnificent creatures. May through September.
☏ 843-838-1516
