User:Phbrownacmorg/sandbox/csc126fa21/WA1/Copper97

What I am Passionate About: South Carolina Sea Turtle Preservation

Something I am passionate about is the preservation of Sea Turtle populations. While this is important everywhere, it is close to home in South Carolina. My family has had a house on Litchfield Beach since the early 80's, and I have spent every summer their, as well as visits all throughout the year. Anyone who frequents South Carolina beaches in the middle of the year has probably seen either the nests roped off on the dunes, the tracks of the mother turtles, or the hatchlings returning to the ocean.

The big issue is that with so many tourists on the beach during nesting/hatching season, it creates a hazardous environment for babies of an endangered species. Young sea turtles already have a high mortality rate, as they must fend for themselves as soon as they leave the nest, but human interactions makes their chance of survival plummet.

Game wardens and environmental programs can only do so much to prevent disrupting contact to these animals. Unfortunately, there are always people walking on the beach at night with flashlights or beach side houses with lights on. Sea turtles depend upon the moon for navigation, and lights can create confusion for the adults, but especially the young hatchlings. However, one of my largest pet peeves is seeing people pick up the freshly hatched babies. Some do it just to do it and others think they are helping them get their faster, but it is one of the worst things they could do. Young sea turtles need to make the long journey from the dunes to the surf because it builds up their strength for when they must face the waves. And picking them up not only messes with this process, but can also disorient them. Small interactions such as these can mean life or death for the turtles. Not all interaction is necessarily bad however. Keeping people or animals from disturbing the nest and hatchlings can help them, as long as direct contact with the turtle is not part of it.