World’s rarest sea turtle species hatches on Hilton Head Island

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (WSAV) – History was made in South Carolina.

The Town of Hilton Head Island announced on its Facebook page that eggs from a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle nest hatched Thursday morning. 

The Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle is the world’s most endangered sea turtle species.

The nest was the first of its kind recorded on Hilton Head Island. It was only the fourth ever recorded in the entire state of South Carolina.

These turtles are small, but they have a big journey ahead of them. The Town of Hilton Head Island wished them luck, writing “Our hopes are high that these hatchlings will survive their epic journey to the sea.”

The average lifespan of the turtles is 50 years. In the wild, they can grow up to two feet long and weigh over 100 pounds.