Summer brings countless wonderful visitors like you to the Isle of Palms, to enjoy the soft sands along the Atlantic Ocean.
And not all of our favorite visitors have legs (two or four). Some have flippers - especially one of the IOP’s most beloved recurring guests, Ms. Caretta caretta, better known as loggerhead turtles.
Marvelous mamas
Starting each year around Mother’s Day in May, mama loggerheads head onto the Isle of Palms’ beach to lay eggs in nests, in the sand along the dunes. Each nest usually contains around 120 eggs.
Nesting season lasts through the end of October. By that time, the little ones have hatched and hopefully made it out to sea, to the safety of the sargassum fields floating in the Gulf Stream. It takes 25 to 30 years for them to reach adulthood, when they may return here to lay their own nests.
In fact, check out this wild story I blogged about back in 2023. Thanks to DNA testing, they identified one extraordinary mama loggerhead who’d come back to lay 30 nests on the IOP since 2011. And get this - six of her daughters have returned to lay eggs nearby, too!
Loggerheads in peril
For years, loggerhead turtle populations were in serious decline, due to various threats like boat strikes, being caught in nets or by hooks, disease, loss of habitat, pollution, confusion of the hatchlings by artificial light onshore, and many more mostly manmade reasons. Thankfully, we humans woke up to the situation and started taking serious steps to insure their safety and health.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), the South Carolina Aquarium and their state-of-the-art Sea Turtle Hospital, and the IOP’s intrepid volunteer Turtle Team have all helped to turn the tide for loggerheads around here.
How you can help
Educational initiatives like Lights out for Loggerheads (now called Lights out for Sea Turtles) have also helped - where all ocean-facing lights along the beach must be turned off from sunset to sunrise, May through October. That’s because they confuse the young hatchlings, who think the lights are the moon reflecting off the water, so they head the wrong way!
This is where you, as guests, can help the loggerheads. If you’re staying in one of EP’s oceanfront vacation rentals on the Isle of Palms, please remember to turn off all ocean-facing lights at night.
Fun fact: More loggerhead nests are laid along the 190-mile coast of South Carolina than any other state except Florida, which has a much longer coastline!
IOP Summer of 2026 Loggerhead Status Report
Isle of Palms resident and expert on all things turtle (and wildlife in general, for that matter) Mary Pringle is the anchor of the Isle’s Turtle Team, which was founded over 25 years ago. She recently gave a status update on this summer’s activity. More about that in a minute.
First, a major shout-out to the Turtle Team volunteers. They get up before dawn every day of peak nesting season to monitor nesting activity along the beach. They mark new nests, relocate the ones that are in a vulnerable place, and eventually do comprehensive inventories on each one 72 hours after the eggs first start hatching, aiding those who need help. Talk about dedication!
So back to Mary’s report. So far this summer of 2026:
- There have been 40 loggerhead nests laid on the Isle of Palms.
- 17 nests have been laid on neighboring Sullivan’s Island.
- The first nest began to hatch on the Isle of Palms on July 15, 2026.
- By July 29th, seven of the IOP’s loggerhead nests had hatched. One of Sullivan’s Island's 17 nests had hatched.
What to do if you see turtle tracks, stranded turtles, or hatchlings?
- If you happen to see brand new turtle tracks or nests that have not been cordoned off with orange tape and sign, please report them to the Isle of Palms Police Department’s non-emergency line. You can reach them at (843) 886-6522. Turtle tracks with a large “X” over them have already been inspected by the Turtle Team, and the nest has either been marked or relocated.
- If you happen to see any stranded sea turtle, whether it’s alive or has passed away, please call the same number.
- Mary adds this advice: if you are lucky enough to witness a loggerhead hatchling heading to the water and it seems to be energetic and healthy, please DO NOT pick it up. Keep a keen eye on it and follow it until it reaches the water, making sure it’s safe from harm until it swims away. And pat yourself on the back - you’ve just witnessed a little miracle of nature!
- If the hatchling seems to be struggling, is injured or too weak to swim away by itself, please call the same IOP non-emergency number to report it - (843) 886-6522 - and a member of the Turtle Team will come to get it and make sure it receives the proper attention.
The great late summer discount is still on...
FYI, you still have time to take advantage of the late summer special, $500 off stays from now through September 5th. Contact us at EP and we’ll get you in a beautiful Isle of Palms vacation rental, where you just may witness a little loggerhead hatchling heading home to the ocean.
All best,
Lowcountry Lisa
your Isle of Palms vacation blogger