Tybee Island sea turtle nesting season has begun and Mermaid Cottages invites you to experience the magic. Every May through October some of the seas most spectacular nesting females make their way back to our little barrier island to make their nests and to lay their eggs. Our Mermaids are proud and honored to be among the many volunteers who search for sea turtle nests to help get them counted and to make sure they are protected. It’s our pleasure to help keep them safe until the eggs hatch and the new hatchlings make it back into the sea.
In fact, our wonderful guests play just as important a part in this annual homecoming of nesting sea turtles.
Portions of the proceeds from every rental and from the retail sales of our Mermaid Morning Bliss Coffee goes to protect and conserve sea turtle nesting on Tybee Island. So, each time you stay, work and play in one of our happy little homes by the sea, you’re also helping to protect and conserve these magnificent creatures. It’s the circle of life and we are all connected to this spectacular ritual.
There are many ways you can help our Tybee Island sea turtles when you’re staying in a Mermaid Cottage during nesting season. Our friends at Tybee Island Marine Science Center tell us nesting sea turtles return to the beach where they hatched to lay their own eggs.
Here are a few ways you can help support nesting Tybee Island sea turtles this season:
1. Fill in any holes you dig during your day at the beach. Holes can trap nesting mothers and hatchlings.
2. Lights out for sea turtles! No lights on the beach at night! Lighting on or near the beach can cause sea turtles to become disoriented and wander away from the shoreline. If you must have lights, use a red filtered light, but no lights are best!
3. If you see a crawl or a mama turtle, stay away and keep others away too. Mamas can easily be spooked into not nesting.
Sea turtles are a protected species through the Endangered Species Act and it is unlawful to touch, impede, harm or tamper with any sea turtle or their eggs. Also, if you see a dead or injured turtle or anyone harassing a sea turtle, call the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at 1-800-2-SAVE-ME (if the sea turtle is tagged, include the tag color and number in the report). Tybee Island Marine Science Center – 912.786.5917.
It’s Tybee Island’s sea turtle nesting season, so make your reservations right on our website or with our Mermaid Vacation Planners. Then, be sure to stock up on Mermaid Morning Bliss Coffee so you can continue to support, protect and conserve our sea turtles all the time!
