Tybee’s Turtle Season
If you’re walking Tybee’s beaches during the summer, you might spot a few small areas with yellow tape near the dunes. That’s not random, it means a sea turtle has come ashore and laid her eggs. It happens every year here reliably, and once you know it’s going on, you start thinking about the beach a little differently.
The island changes a little during turtle season. Locals get a little more protective of our beaches. And if you’re visiting, you get to be part of that too.
Turtle Laying Her Eggs
Captured with a zoom lens in the moon light
Here’s what helps:
Those taped-off spots are the real deal. Underneath that sand are fragile nests with dozens of eggs. Volunteers come out early to mark them. The best thing you can do? Give them space. No stepping, no leaning, no curious digging.
Keep things dark after sunset. Hatchlings follow the light of the moon to find the ocean. Bright lights, phone flashlights, porch bulbs, camera flashes, can send them the wrong way. Amber bulbs or closed blinds make a big difference.
Smooth it out before you leave. Big beach holes and abandoned sandcastles can trap hatchlings on their first journey. If you dig, fill it in.
Trash doesn’t just disappear. Even the small stuff like straws, bottle caps, and snack wrappers can end up in the water. If you spot bring something, leave with it. The beach looks better, and the turtles get a fighting chance.
If you see hatchlings or mothers laying eggs, keep your distance. It’s tempting to get close, but that will disturb them. No lights, no helping hands, no Instagram moments. Just watch quietly, it’s better for them.
Let nature do its thing. Sometimes people want to guide hatchlings or brush off sand to help. We know it comes from a good place, but trust that they’re built for this. They’ve been doing it a long time.
Locals really care about this. You might see folks out early in the morning checking nests or clearing trash before the sun’s up. There’s something deeply meaningful about sharing the shore with creatures that have been coming here for generations.
We want you to have a great time while you’re here. And if you leave the beach a little better than you found it, you’re doing Tybee right!
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