Under a permit from the SC Department of Natural Resources, S.C.U.T.E. Volunteers serve as stewards to

protect the turtles’ nesting habitat and as educators to those who show an interest in learning more about

our turtles and how to help them. From May until the last nest hatches, volunteers monitor the beach

at dawn each day for signs of turtle activity, whether that be a simple crawl onto the beach,

the laying of a new nest, or the evidence of an overnight nest hatch.

S.C.U.T.E. volunteers wear distinctive white tee shirts. You are invited to address any of your

sea turtle questions to these volunteers. S.C.U.T.E. is self-funded by its volunteers. If you wish

to provide a donation to further sea turtle protection, S.C.U.T.E. encourages you to contact

the Sea Turtle Rescue Program at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, SC.

There are Seven Different Species of Sea Turtles Worldwide:

Leatherback, Green, Loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley,

Flatback, Hawksbill, and Olive Ridley.

Virtually all turtles that lay nests on Pawleys Island

are Loggerheads,  a species over 150 million years

old. Adult Loggerheads are 3 x 4 feet in size and

weigh 300 pounds (seen in the video above).

Every second or third year, they lay 4 or 5 nests a season,

each containing an average of 120 ping-pong sized eggs.

Nests that are laid in the inter-tidal zone or in areas at

risk for foot traffic are carefully relocated by S.C.U.T.E.

volunteers who have been trained and authorized by

the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

ou can spot sea turtle nests by their distinctive orange

screening and orange signs on nest poles.