• Lights out: The Town of HHI requires all indoor and outdoor light fixtures that are visible from the beach to be shielded so the bulbs are not visible or turned off between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. during sea turtle nesting season from May 1 – October 31.
• Keep the beach clean: Never leave beach umbrellas, chairs, beach accessories on the beach overnight. Nesting female turtles may get tangled in them, and for hatchlings, they are often impassable and disorienting. Place all trash and recyclables in the appropriate receptacles.
• Fill in holes: Baby turtles often fall into the holes left on the beach and get disoriented and fall to prey.
• Observe from a distance: Use a zoom lens and do not shine lights near the nests.
• Don’t harass: Don’t pick up a baby turtle to “help it” on its journey to the water.
• Leave nest sites alone: Do not disturb sea turtle nest markers. Obey these signs and please stay out of marked areas.
• Sea Turtle Patrol Awareness Flyer: Click here to view/print

To Report:

• Injured Turtles — Sea Turtle Patrol HHI 843-338-2716
• Turtle Code Enforcement Issues (lighting or other situations) — Town of HH 843-341-4643
• Deceased Adult Turtle (not hatchlings) — SCDNR 1-800-922-5431