Tybee Island Beach Fine for Sea Turtle Nesting

It seems the federally protected loggerhead sea turtles will find plenty of nesting habitat on Tybee Island’s freshly re-nourished beach after all.

The federal government spent $11 million pumping fresh sand onto Georgia's largest public beach last fall.

And late last month researchers were concerned the sand was too compact for the finicky sea turtles to lay their eggs. But now, the Department of Natural Resources turtle expert Mark Dodd says he’s reinterpreted the data to find the compact sand is mostly on the tide-line where the turtles don’t nest anyway. And where they do dig… 85-90 percent of that shore is nest-friendly.

Their nesting season begins early May and ends in October.

Loggerheads rescued from 'cold stunning'

Two loggerhead turtles and one green sea turtle stranded along North Carolina's coast have been taken to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island for treatment and rehabilitation.

Dr. Terry Norton, director of the center, said Friday about 30 green turtles and a number of loggerheads washed up on the shoreline over a 3-day period. He said it happened after a cold weather snap caused them to become sluggish and immobile.

Norton said they were victims of a "cold stunning" event. He said the center is trying to get the body temperature up by three to four degrees a day.

Norton said the three will stay at the center through the winter.

Information from: The Brunswick News, http://www.thebrunswicknews.com

(AP)

Fay's toll on pecans, turtles

Tropical Storm Fay has hit Georgia’s pecan crop. While no numbers are yet reported, the storm's high wind and torrential rain seemed to take the heaviest toll on Georgia's $128 million pecan crop. Hardest-hit counties are in the south along the Florida line. Pecan trees are vulnerable because they're loaded with immature nuts and foliage.

Meanwhile there may be good news for turtles hit by Tropical Storm Fay - -the storm destroyed fewer loggerhead sea turtle nests than experts feared. Biologists and volunteers scoured Georgia’s 100-miles shoreline of the weekend. They say 8% of the threatened species’ nests were lost from the storm’s surging tides. Turtles in nearly half of those had already hatched out.

Jekyll toughens rules to help turtles

Sea turtles on Jekyll Island will get some help on the beaches. The island’s Board on Monday approved an update to rules from the early 1980’s that prohibits lights shining directly on the beach. New rules state that exterior lights visible from the beach must point down and be completely shielded. They must use particular types of bulbs, be of red or amber color, and be compact fluorescent lamps under 13 watts. The rules on lights are meant to protect loggerhead turtle hatchlings from being disoriented.

Loggerhead turtle awaits release into wild

A loggerhead sea turtle raised by humans since it was a hatchling will be released into the wild today. Dylan the sea turtle found on Jekyll Island nearly 10 years ago has matured enough to head home into the Atlantic.

Veterinarians say the shell of the 150 pound loggerhead has grown enough to protect her in the wild.

Loggerhead sea turtle populations are declining on the coast and they could get endangered status if they’re further threatened.

Dylan’s life in captivity includes a residence at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. She has spent the last year at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center where she learned to hunt in preparation for her release.

Aquarium releases turtle to the wild

A loggerhead sea turtle named Dylan who has spent the last two years at the Georgia Aquarium is headed home. This morning aquarium veterinarians loaded the seven-year-old into the back of a van for a six-hour ride to Jekyll Island on the Georgia coast. That's where Dylan was first discovered as a hatchling straggler left behind by his nest mates. It’s where he now will be prepped for release back into the wild.