MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Myrtle Beach staff found the second green sea turtle nest in the city this week.
Green sea turtles are considered rare by researchers. Thursday’s find was the eighth green sea turtle nest in the state this year. Four nests have been located in Garden City, two more in Pawleys Island and now two in Myrtle Beach.
Thursday morning, staff members from the Myrtle Beach Parks Division noticed another turtle crawl and contacted Myrtle Beach State Park, according to a post from the Myrtle Beach City Government page.
Park Ranger Ann Wilson told city officials a patrol officer saw the green sea turtle around 12:30 a.m. at 51st Avenue North and made the call.
“We worked the nest in the rain with lots of umbrellas and rain jackets! It was a team effort keeping everything dry and sheltered! Good, fun memory we’ll all have years from now,” Wilson reportedly said on the Facebook post.
The mother turtle laid 141 eggs and park officials have since moved the ping-pong ball sized eggs to Myrtle Beach State Park where officials can monitor them more easily.
Sea turtles are protected by federal law, with fines of up to $15,000 for disturbing nests unlawfully, according to the city’s post.
