Endangered loggerhead sea turtles are making a big comeback on the South Carolina coast.
The Post and Courier of Charleston reports there were almost 4,600 loggerhead nests recorded on the coast this year, the highest number in three decades.
The Department of Natural Resources reports the number of nests increased three straight years.
Officials say the number of nests has remained relatively high for the past five summers.
South Carolina was the first state to require the use of turtle excluder devices in shrimp nets. Lights in many beachfront communities are dimmed so hatchlings can find their way to the ocean. The state is a national leader in training volunteers to monitor nests.
