May marks the beginning of Sea Turtle nesting season and experts at the Myrtle Beach State Park expect to see more nests this year than last.
There are already three nests in Horry County; last year there were 25 throughout the whole season.
“We’re expecting a really good year this year and the numbers are already showing that, Ann Wilson, park ranger at Myrtle Beach State Park said. “We have about 123 nests so far in the state and Horry County already has three so it’s very early in the season and we have some nests in Georgetown County as well.”
Any nest found within Myrtle Beach City limits is brought to the State Park as rangers there are licensed to care for them.
Wilson tells New13, even if people don’t see a sea turtle, they can help them by picking up their trash, filling holes in the sand and lowering sand castles before leaving the beach.
She says keeping lights off on the beach is another way to keep turtles safe, because turtles instinctively follow light and need to be able to see the light reflecting off the water.
“Keep off all your lights,” Wilson said. “That includes cell phones, I’m not talking the flashlight app, I’m talking cell phones give off light, shut that down because that can scare adult turtles back into the ocean and not lay eggs.”
