Turtle Team Leader Gary McGraw reports:

This is an update for Week Two. Our volunteer list is growing. As of today we have 29 people who have signed the DNR volunteer agreement. When you want to walk, please call Judy Fairchild at cell 843-259-1713 or home 886-6062 to have her put you on our official schedule.

We’ve had our second nest. Ted Fairchild discovered the nest down in front of McAlhany’s house. “Mama Ted” picked a good spot well up in the dunes so we left the nest in situ.

Strandings. We do not have many turtle strandings on Dewees, but sadly we had two over the Memorial Day weekend. The Aggie Gray Captain spotted a dead loggerhead washed up on the shoreline near ICW Green Marker #113. Judy Fairchild, Gretchen, Ryan and I salvaged the carcass; took the required measurements; and filed a state stranding report. DNR officials took the carcass for further study. Reggie Fairchild spotted a dead ‘Green Sea Turtle’ high in the dunes on the south beach on Dewees Inlet. We filed the state report and DNR officials also took this carcass. It was an apparent boat strike with a propeller gash across the carapace.

As of today, the number of loggerhead nests are 7, 198 and 58 for NC, SC and GA, repectively.

Don’t forget TURTLE TUESDAYS at 9:30 AM in the Huyler House each Tuesday of the nesting season for a cup of coffee and informal chats about the latest.