On Saturday, August 25 we were visited by Boy Scout troop 316 from Lugoff, South Carolina.
They drove 145 miles to visit our beaches to learn about sea turtles and dolphins. After camping at the Boy Scout Campgrounds at Wadmalaw Island, they travelled to Seabrook Island and were hosted by Terry Fansler and Gayle Evans. They started their day by hiking to North Beach to watch the dolphins strand feed. Unfortunately, a reckless boater had preceded them by a few minutes. The boat roared through the river at high speed and the dolphins headed for cover. The Dolphin Conservation Education representative on duty (Carrie) was able to provide the Scouts with lots of information about the dolphins but they never got to witness the strand feeding.
The group then headed down the beach to visit a sea turtle nest that was due to hatch. After providing an overview of the sea turtle hatching process and the role of the Turtle Patrol, Terry decided to check the sand for hardness due to the overnight rains to make sure the hatchlings could get out. When Gayle loosened the sand there were a few hatchlings already trying to break through the crusted sand. So, Terry, Gayle and the Boy Scouts helped escort the hatchlings to the ocean. The Troop Leader, Wayne Albright, said that seeing the hatchlings was an experience the Troop would long remember.
