About Us

SEA TURTLE PATROL HILTON HEAD ISLAND

2026 Season: EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

“

Historical trends allow us to prepare for the 2026 nesting season: Exceeding the average nesting density with the Expectation of entering into a record-breaking sea turtle nesting season May-August 2026.

This trend follows snow events. Although rare for our area, freezing temperatures can stifle food source production. Female loggerheads require a robust body condition to enter into a nesting season. Reduced food supply may have extended the interval between nesting seasons for female loggerheads that were expected to nest in 2025.

In addition to the extra “Boots on the Sand” effort that will be Expected from the STPHHI staff, volunteers will continue to Exceed strategic plan goals with the advancement of the USCB HHI DNA Lab, Educational Programming in the HHI Public Schools, and Outreach for the Ecotourism Experience.

Amber Kuehn, Executive Director

Years Monitoring Sea Turtles on HHI!

All About Sea Turtles

Learn More About Sea Turtles and Our Nest Counts Over the Years

Learn More

cLICK HERE TO view 2025 Nesting season Statistics

Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island

What we do

Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island (STPHHI) is a dedicated volunteer organization that plays a crucial role in monitoring and protecting sea turtles on Hilton Head Island by doing the following:

From May 1st until the end of hatching season, the Sea Turtle Patrol HHI diligently patrols the 14 miles of beach on Hilton Head Island. Their purpose is to search for nesting sea turtle tracks, identify nests, and mark them using poles and flagging tape.

To safeguard the nests during incubation, approximately 50% of the nests are carefully moved to higher ground, away from the king high tide line.

The organization promotes awareness about these endangered species through public education and outreach efforts. They spread knowledge about sea turtles and their struggle for survival.

Learn More About Sea Turtles

Our Mission

Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island provides monitoring, support, and awareness of sea turtle nesting to promote the continued existence of these endangered species.

Our Vision

Recognized by the community and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources as the steward for the preservation of sea turtles and their nesting habitat.

meet OUR team

Patrol Team Members

Sea Turtle Patrol Auxiliary Members

Sea turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island

A Passionate Patrol Team

Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island is a registered 501(c)3 organization (EIN: 82-3642853) that provides annual monitoring and support on Hilton Head Island beaches for sea turtle nesting and hatching activity. Our work is conducted under the direction of SCDNR permit holder, Amber Kuehn. We also provide public education and outreach to promote awareness and to advocate for these endangered species.

Our Volunteer Patrol Team and Auxiliary (STP AUX) Members dedicate their time to help protect our Island’s Nesting Sea Turtle Population.

Executive Director

Amber kuehn

After college, while working as a divemaster for a local dive shop on Hilton Head Island, Amber Kuehn experienced a close encounter with a loggerhead sea turtle at the wreck of the Eagle’s Nest, 16 miles offshore. From that moment, sea turtle conservation became a driving force in her personal and professional life. Amber has been volunteering on sea turtle nesting beaches for 26 years in locations including Hilton Head Island, Ft. Lauderdale, and Maui. Her master’s degree in marine biology was focused on sea turtle research. As new discoveries are made, the information evolves, but her passion for helping this endangered species remains consistently strong. Amber is proud of the Sea Turtle Patrol HHI organization and the work done by several volunteers to maintain not only the day-to-day monitoring but also our essential fundraising efforts to sustain these activities.

We have exciting plans for the future to provide more opportunity for visitors and residents to be involved and experience the wonder that gets us out on the beach at 5:00 am for patrol!

-Amber

Recognitions

2024 Zonta Woman of the Year

Listen to “5 Questions with Amber”

How does STP AUX help Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island?

Community Presence: Community events are a regular occurrence on Hilton Head, and the STP AUX is there to answer questions and pass their knowledge on to large groups of residents and visitors gathering there.
Docent: The Docents assist Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island at their public Turtle Talks, answering questions, setting up, and collecting regional data to keep track of participants to monitor outreach potential.
Sand Management: Having Sea Turtle Patrol Auxiliary’s Sand Management Team on the beach to answer questions as they lead by example is critical to sharing the beach with an endangered species. This team conducts beach preservation activities such as beach sweeps and “Putting the Beach to Bed”- picking up litter, filling abandoned holes, and knocking down sandcastles left behind after a fun day at the beach, to create a safe nesting habitat and a clear path to the dry sand for nesting loggerhead sea turtles. Visitors are less likely to leave more than their footprints when they learn how their impact could interfere with a successful nesting season.
Administrative & Fundraising: The Administrative and Fundraising Teams are volunteering behind the scenes to bring organization and funding opportunities to the group at large.
Classroom: Sharing their knowledge with school children in the classroom through the Sea Turtle Travel Trunk program, STP AUX members contribute to the STEM curriculum in our local schools. All classroom team members are trained by Sea Turtle Patrol HHI’s executive director, Amber Kuehn.
Rental Outreach: Rental management companies also receive guidance from STP AUX with information for their guests, a review of town ordinances in effect during the nesting season and sea turtle awareness materials to be placed in their properties.
Sea Turtle Friendly Certified: STP AUX even consults with beachfront resorts to give support for sea turtle awareness, helping them to maintain their Sea Turtle Friendly Certification on Hilton Head Island.
Pocket Beach Walkers: These members of STP AUX are asked to walk the beaches of HHI that face the Port Royal Sound on a daily basis during the nesting season. They are looking for the tracks of nesting sea turtles and will report any sightings to a designated Sea Turtle Patrol HHI member who is permitted to move and/or mark the nest.

Meet The Auxiliary

Teamwork makes the dream work.

Sea Turtle Patrol Auxiliary Hilton Head Island (STP AUX) is a group of island residents that perform volunteer actions to support the efforts of Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island’s outreach programming. STP AUX Teams help to fulfill our program’s mission.

Want to become part of the Aux Team?

How to Join

STP AUX has limited membership and we are fortunate to be fully staffed for the 2026 season. If you would like to be considered for the 2027 nesting season, please email us at HHSTPAUX@gmail.com to be put on our waiting list.