Attached is the latest update on how the 2023 nesting season is shaping up. BTW - no emergences have been reported statewide as of this morning 7/13. (Update 7/14 - lighthouse island in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge had first emergence in SC at 65 days) We are still ahead of the nesting track the turtles laid down in 2022, our record year (recorded history) by whatever measure you want to use - date or days since first nest (DSFN). As of 7/13 We are now at 160 nests. The sea turtles need to lay down another 16 nests in 2023 to pass the 2022 record of 175 nests.
(Ed. Note 7/14 added 2 more nests for total of 162)
That is entirely possible. Over the approx last 3 weeks of the 2022 nesting season, the turtles laid down 20 nests. So, if the 2023 nesting season goes on for about another 3 weeks, and we (the turtles) average a nest a day, 2023 will surpass the 2022 nesting season. it is the turtles doing the hard work, not us. 2023 has already exceeded the record of 153 nests set in 2019 (4th place) and this morning we surpassed the 1984 nesting season (3rd place) when there were 157 nests. The 2023 season has now moved into a clear 2nd place on its own for nests in a year (remember this is recorded history that only goes back to about 1981 on Hunting Island; what happened before that no one really knows). I have made the following argument to Buddy before. The record in 1984 was actually 174 nests - the last 2 pages of the 1984 report were overlooked when they were combed for data. There were 2 groups checking nests on Hunting Island that year and they acted independently it seems. The group that monitored from the campground north found 17 nests, while the groups south of the campground had 157 nests. Buddy understands my comment, but as he notes, the agencies in charge list Hunting as having 157 nests that year. Why argue at this point. 2022 beat 1984 in terms of total nests regardless.
( Buddy agrees the above argument is possible, 1984 could've had 174 nests) All the best Keith
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