Baby turtles leave for sea from rare nest found on Mississippi beach

Baby turtles made it safely to the sea after they were dug out of a nest on a beach in Mississippi.

In January 2023, the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) found a sea turtle nest in Pass Christian, a rare occurrence on the manmade beach.

In an excavation following the hatching process, IMMS staff discovered 84 eggs, with 12 live hatchlings.

"The estimates for survival for a hatchling are super low. It's about one in a thousand hatchlings will make it to an adult. That's because turtles have to survive to that adulthood age, usually between 15 to 20, sometimes even 30 years before they start laying eggs," IMMS Stranding Coordinator Theresa Madrigal said.