Rare sea turtle eggs hatch on Hilton Head beach

HILTON HEAD, S.C. — Eggs in an endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle's nest hatched Thursday on a Hilton Head beach.

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This is the first Kemp's nest recorded at Hilton Head and only the fourth time a Kemp's turtle has nested on a South Carolina beach, the city said.

The Kemp's Ridley has been on the federal list of endangered species since 1970. It is one of the smallest sea turtles, with adults reaching about 2 feet in length and weighing about 100 pounds, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

They typically live in the Gulf of Mexico but are known to get swept into the Atlantic Ocean by the Gulf Stream.

The eggs were was laid April 26, the city said. The number of hatchlings and specific location of the nest was not released.

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