We steer by moonlight

Every year, loggerhead sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. In Horry and Georgetown counties, more than 100 loggerhead turtle nests containing a total of 12,000+ eggs line the beaches. It’s a precarious life for these little ones. Only about 70 percent of the eggs hatch.

Mothers dig nests by moonlight and can be easily spooked by a bright light, even a camera flashing a picture. Newly hatched turtles use moonlight reflecting from the ocean waves to find their way home, which is why we promote shielding or turning off beachfront lights after 10 p.m. during nesting season.

Loggerhead turtles take 30 years to mature…10 years longer than a human! All told, only about a third of loggerhead turtles live to adulthood. That’s why it’s essential we humans take responsibility for our role in protecting their survival.

Other fun facts about loggerhead sea turtles: