MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) -- Endangered green sea turtle hatchlings from the South Carolina coast are hitching a ride offshore to the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream.
The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports Wednesday that three last-season nests were found in Garden City Beach. Green sea turtles don't often lay eggs so far north, preferring warmer waters near Florida and the Caribbean.
Some eggs were recently moved to Charleston. This week, the hatchlings are to take a boat ride from North Carolina to the Gulf Stream. DuBose Griffin of the state Department of Natural Resources says the turtles would not survive if they had to swim to the Gulf Stream.
Green turtles can survive in water that is 65 degrees and higher. The waters off the South Carolina coast now are in the mid-50s.
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Information from: The Sun News, http://www.thesunnews.com/
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