08/26/2026
It’s sea turtle hatchling season in South Carolina!
Daily along our beaches from May through October, permitted teams monitor and protect sea turtle nests as they appear. In South Carolina, most of these nests belong to loggerhead sea turtles. After 45 to 60 days, these nests emerge and release about 120 hatchlings at a time!
About a week before emergence, hatchlings use their temporary “egg tooth” to break out of their eggs. As this happens, eggshells collapse, and an air pocket forms within the nest. A few days later, the turtles at the top of the nest sense that it is time to emerge when the sand cools down at night. All at once, they begin to climb upwards, using falling sand, eggshells, and one another to scale the nest.
Once these turtles emerge, they make the risky journey to the ocean, instinctively following the light of the bright, moonlit horizon. They then enter a “swim frenzy,” swimming tens of miles beyond the Gulf Stream to nutrient-rich areas like the Sargasso Sea. Sea turtles spend 8-10 years eating, growing, and developing before returning to more coastal waters in adulthood.
Emerging as a group is extremely beneficial; buried more than a foot beneath the sand, it is easier for a group of hatchlings to climb out than a single tiny turtle. A coordinated emergence also reduces the risk of predation and optimizes overall survival. Turtles use vocalizations to coordinate development, hatching, and emergence.
If you are lucky enough to see a sea turtle hatchling, maintain distance and avoid using flashlights, which can misdirect the turtle from the ocean. Never pick up or touch a hatchling. If you see signs of disorientation or injury, call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources () Sea Turtle Hotline at 1-800-922-5431.
