TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (AP) -- The total number of turtle nests on Tybee Island is 17 and counting -- a record-breaking crop.
The Savannah Morning News reports the first hatchlings of the season emerged Monday before scrambling into the sea. Volunteers marked and protected the nests as they were discovered in May. The nests have been monitored overnight for the past week or so to watch for the hatchlings. The public was invited to watch volunteers excavate the North Beach net on Friday to look for stragglers and document how many eggs hatched.
Loggerhead sea turtles are a threatened species.
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Information from: Savannah Morning News, http://www.savannahnow.com
AP-WF-07-22-12 1105GMT