Check out our turtle's-eye-view of the struggle to the sea as we follow one hatchling's trek to the waves! This footage was taken on a Sunrise Walk with Georgia Sea Turtle Center. While it is rare to find a live hatchling on one of these walks, these turtles were part of a nest that was overrun by fire ants, a major threat to the tiny hatchlings. GSTC staff release the hatchlings on the beach, allowing them time to wake up their muscles and imprint on the beach for the return journey the females will make when they are ready to breed, decades in the future!

Most hatchings happen at night, what you see in our video is from a nest excavation as part of the research & rescue efforts of GSTC. The camera used was a wide-angle at a low point of view. While you can see many people in the video, they are further away from the turtles than they appear, and are supervised by or part of the GSTC professional wildlife rescue team.

As with all wildlife, if you see a turtle (and especially a turtle hatchling) on the beach, give it space and never approach or touch it. Stay behind its line of sight at a distance and do not use flashlights, phone lights, or camera lights, these can disorient them and disturb the nesting or hatchling behaviors critical to survival. If you think and animal is injured, sick, or in need of assistance, call a wildlife rescue, hotline, or the local Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, they will know what to do!

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