SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Rare loggerhead sea turtles reached a conservation milestone on the coast of Georgia in the midst of a strong nesting season on southern Atlantic beaches.
Georgia wildlife officials announced this week that more than 2,890 loggerhead nests have been counted this summer along the state’s 100-mile coast. Not only is that a new record for Georgia – smashing last year’s record count by more than 550 nests – but it also surpasses the state’s long-term recovery goal for the species.
A target set years ago called for Georgia to reach 2,800 nests by the year 2028 – 50 years after the federal government listed loggerhead sea turtles as a threatened species. With nesting expected to continue for several weeks, Georgia could easily top 3,000 nests this year, said Mark Dodd, the biologist who oversees the sea turtle recovery program for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
“We never thought we would get here this quickly,” Dodd said Friday, though he cautioned it’s still too early to declare loggerheads a recovered species. “We have a lot of other criteria we have to meet. But it’s a great milestone and a place to stop and congratulate everyone.”
Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina are all reporting robust nest numbers since the season for loggerheads began May 1. The giant turtles, which can grow to weigh up to 300 pounds, typically lay eggs through the end of August.