The Island Packet | September 4, 2025 Hilton Head’s sea turtle moms have done their job for the season, and now it’s time for the hatchlings to leave the nest. After two weeks without a new sea turtle nest on Hilton Head, the nesting season is officially over. In total, Hilton Head Sea Turtle Patrol…
Local Life Magazine | August 1, 2025 A partnership between Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island, a genetics researcher at the University of South Carolina Beaufort and a University of Georgia scientist is unlocking the hidden lives of loggerhead sea turtles — without tagging the turtles. Click here to read the article
BLUFFTON, S.C. (WSAV) — A dolphin named Lucky is once again swimming free in the May River thanks to a coordinated rescue by the Bluffton Township Fire District (BTFD), the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (LMMN) and local Bluffton residents. Click here to watch the WSAV video with Sea Turtle Patrol’s Amber Kuehn
Amber Kuehn gave an update on Hilton Head Island’s sea turtle season and answered questions, on the Hilton Head Island and Bluffton Chamber of Commerce Power Hour Tele-Town Halls: July 9th, 2025. Click here to listen to Amber Kuehn on Power Hour
Local Life July 2, 2025 Story by Amber Kuehn Editor’s note: When word began to ripple through the Lowcountry about a stranded sperm whale on Hilton Head Island, we turned to the person closest to the situation. Marine biologist and Sea Turtle Patrol HHI director Amber Kuehn was there the evening of Saturday, May 3, and…
Hilton Head Sun July 1, 2025 “Each Wednesday evening during the summer, volunteers gather at the “Big Blue Chair” outside the Beach House Hilton Head Island with a shared goal: to “Put the Beach to Bed.” The hourlong program, held from 7 to 8 p.m., helps ensure Hilton Head’s beaches are safe for nesting loggerhead…
CH2 Magazine June 26, 2025 By Amber Kuehn Amber reflects on her two-decades of dedication to Hilton Head Island’s beaches and sea turtle conservation. Her unpredictable and constantly changing schedule ranges from enforcing beach ordinances to responding to stranded marine life. Despite the exhaustion, it’s the moments like rescuing a juvenile loggerhead with a fishing…
The Post & Courier Beaufort County June 17, 2025 Several volunteers gathered near the Tiki Hut Bar on Coligny Beach on Hilton Head Island June 11. They leaned in close to hear Sea Turtle Patrol volunteer Cindy Green over the live music and hordes of beachgoers. “Who is the oldest visitor to our island?” Green…
WHHI interviews Amber Kuehn, Executive Director of Sea Turtle Patrol HHI, to celebrate the milestone of Hilton Head Island’s 100th sea turtle nest of 2025—a landmark year for nesting activity. Amber discusses the importance of ‘Lights Out,’ the upcoming beach renourishment, and how dedicated volunteers are making a meaningful impact on the island’s nesting sea…
A green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) encountered around Hilton Head Island represents one of the world’s largest hard‑shelled marine reptiles, known for their herbivorous diet and reliance on warm, shallow coastal habitats. Although loggerheads dominate South Carolina nesting activity, juvenile green turtles forage in the region’s estuaries, where seagrass and algae provide essential nutrition. Like all reptiles, green turtles are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature depends on the surrounding water. When sudden winter cold fronts push water temperatures below roughly 50°F (10°C), turtles can experience cold‑stunning, a hypothermic state in which they become lethargic, lose the ability to swim, and may float to the surface or wash ashore. Cold‑stunned turtles are vulnerable to drowning, boat strikes, and predation, and require rapid rescue to prevent secondary complications such as pneumonia or shock. Conservation groups along the Southeast coast monitor for these events, as even a single cold snap can impact multiple species—including green turtles—within the island’s interconnected marshes and tidal creeks. Understanding cold‑stunning helps highlight how sensitive sea turtles are to temperature shifts and why protecting their habitats is essential for long‑term survival.
