Volunteers ‘Put the Beach to Bed’ to protect nesting sea turtles on Hilton Head

Each Wednesday evening during the summer, volunteers gather at the “Big Blue Chair” outside the Beach House Hilton Head Island with a shared goal: to “Put the Beach to Bed.” The hourlong program, held from 7 to 8 p.m., helps ensure Hilton Head’s beaches are safe for nesting loggerhead sea turtles.

A mix of locals and visitors—children, teens and seniors alike—take part in the initiative, a partnership between Beach House Hilton Head and Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island. Participants enjoy a short talk about sea turtles and their nesting habits before receiving gloves and a mesh bag. They then head to the beach to fill holes, knock down sandcastles and remove debris to clear the way for nesting turtles and hatchlings.

“This is our way of supporting our environment and our community—one wave, one guest and one good deed at a time,” said Cole Patterson, the Tiki Hut manager and Beach House’s Turtle Ambassador, who plays a key role in the resort’s family-friendly sustainability initiative.

Patterson works alongside Sea Turtle Patrol volunteers to educate guests and locals alike. On a recent Wednesday, Sea Turtle Patrol volunteer Cindy Green began the evening with a talk on loggerhead nesting behavior.

“We put the beach to bed to make it safe for turtles,” Green said. “If a mother comes out to lay eggs and something causes her to turn around, she will drop the eggs in the ocean. When a turtle comes ashore, she is in labor.”

She explained that sea turtles often return to the same beach where they were born—a ritual that has continued for roughly 80 million years – making them Hilton Head Island’s first visitors. Green shared photos of what turtle tracks look like as well as how to identify a nest and fun facts like the phrase “Hot chicks - cool dudes.” In sea turtles, the sex of the hatchling is determined by the temperature of the sand during incubation, not by chromosomes. Warmer temperatures generally produce female turtles, while cooler temperatures generally produce male turtles.

Loggerhead turtles nest from May through October, with each nest incubating for six to eight weeks. As of June 11, 103 nests had been recorded—more than half of the 204 total nests documented in 2024. The island averages about 325 nests annually, with a record 463 in 2019. The Sea Turtle Patrol’s 24 core members are supported by a 50-member auxiliary.

“Put the Beach to Bed” volunteers follow simple but important guidelines: stay off dunes, remove items left behind and fill in holes or dismantle structures that could block or trap turtles. Common finds include cigarette butts, bottle caps, wrappers and toys. One volunteer mentioned someone once discovered a set of dentures; another recalled his daughter finding a wallet with $400, which was later returned to its owner.

Sea Turtle Patrol volunteers assist throughout the evening, often carrying rakes to help with the cleanup and answer questions. Longtime island residents Cosimo and Deborah Urato, married 51 years, participate regularly and say the program strengthens their connection to the island.

Green said the island’s sea turtle population is a key indicator of its environmental health. “Sea turtles reflect the health of our island and the environment,” she said.

The Beach House was recently named a Certified Sea Turtle-Friendly Resort by Sea Turtle Patrol HHI. The certification requires the resort to meet specific environmental standards, including offering turtle-related activities, turning off beach-facing lights from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., providing a water bottle filling station and distributing red flashlights for night walks. Other area hotels are adopting similar turtle-safe practices, such as replacing plastic straws with biodegradable agave alternatives.

After the beach sweep, volunteers are invited to enjoy a complimentary specialty cocktail or mocktail and live music at the Tiki Hut—the island’s only on-the-beach live music venue.

“Put the Beach to Bed” continues weekly through August 27. Organizers hope the program deepens public understanding of the fragile but vital role sea turtles play in Hilton Head’s ecosystem.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.beachhousehhi.com/beach-house-gives-back or contact Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island at www.seaturtlepatrolhhi.org.