SEA TURTLE SEASON IS HERE - AND SEA TURTLE PATROL HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS CELEBRATING ITS FIRST FEW NESTS OF THE YEAR! THIS AFTERNOON I'M SHARING HOW YOU CAN DO YOUR PART TO PROTECT THE ENDANGERED SPECIES. 8! THAT'S THE NUMBER OF NESTS SEA TURTLE PATROL HILTON HEAD ISLAND HAS DOCUMENTED SINCE THE SEASON BEGAN MAY 1ST. AND AS THE SEA TURTLES BEGIN TO NEST ALONG OUR BEACHES, THERE ARE SEVERAL REMINDERS PATROL WANTS YOU TO KNOW. SOT AMBER KUEHN, AND SEA TURTLE PATROL HILTON HEAD ISLAND MANAGER: "GOOD STEWARDS OF THE BEACH. THAT MEANS FILL YOUR HOLES. PICK UP YOUR TRASH. DON'T EAVE YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY ON THE BEACH AT NIGHT. USE A RED FLASHLIGHT. WE ALSO ASK THAT IF YOU'RE STAYING BEACHFRONT, THAT YOU TURN YOUR LIGHTS OFF AFTER 10 P.M. WHEN THE HATCHLINGS COME OUT." PATROL WORKS TO MARK AND DOCUMENT NESTS THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER. DURING THAT TIME, THEY TYPICALLY SEE FOUR DIFFERENT SPECIES. SOT KUEHN, "WE'VE GOTTEN A LEATHERBACK BUT NOT SINCE 2015. WE'VE HAD FIVE ALTOGETHER IN 30 YEARS. WE'VE HAD TWO KEMPS RIDLEYS. THAT'S THE MOST CRITICALLY ENDANGERED. TWO IN 30 YEARS. AND WE HAVE HAD GREEN TURTLES. PROBABLY ABOUT TEN OF THOSE ALTOGETHER. AND THEN THE LOGGERHEAD. WHICH IS 99% OF THE SPECIES THAT WE GET." IT'S IMPORTANT THIS YEAR ESPECIALLY FOR US TO DO OUR PART WHEN WE VISIT THE BEACHES AS THE WJCL 2024 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON FORECAST CALLS FOR AN ABOVE AVERAGE HURRICANE SEASON. STORMS CAN BE DEVASTATING TO NESTS - ESPECIALLY IF THEY HIT EARLY IN THE SEASON. SOT KUEHN "WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY. STATE RULES. SO WE'RE JUST HOPING THAT IT COMES LATE ENOUGH IN THE SEASON. IRMA WE LOST 54 NESTS. MATTHEW WE ONLY LOST TWO. SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHEN IT GETS HERE. SEA TURTLE HATCHING SEASON TYPICALLY BEGINS IN JULY. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPONSOR