Sea turtles crawl to new nesting record on Georgia coast

In this June 30, 2019, photo provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, a loggerhead sea turtle returns to the ocean after nesting on Ossabaw Island, Ga. Rare sea turtles that spend summers laying eggs on Southern beaches have crawled to a new state record in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, that more than 3,960 loggerhead sea turtle nests have been counted this year along the Georgia coast. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources via AP, File)

Rare sea turtles that spend summers laying eggs on Southern beaches have crawled to a new state record in Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday that more than 3,960 loggerhead sea turtle nests have been counted since May along the Georgia coast.

That’s 10 more nests than the previous state record set in 2019, and the number will likely grow. The nesting season typically continues through August.