FOLLY BEACH – “When the sun rises, I am at one with nature,” Vanessa Oltmann said on July 16, from her home along the coast of South Carolina. Oltmann shared her passion for conservation with Presence News and highlighted the importance of Sea Turtles.

Turtles play an important role in the ocean’s ecosystem but remain under threat. “I could talk for hours about turtles,” Oltmann chuckled. Possessing a sunny disposition, Oltmann cherishes her coastal lifestyle while still living in the reality of its harsher side. The world’s oceans, except for the Arctic and other polar regions, are home for a variety of Sea Turtle species. Almost every kind of Sea Turtle faces the same struggle for survival, even the Asian Giant Softshell Turtle. .

Life on the beach is not all fun in the sun, but Oltmann truly loves her work and gives us a glimpse into a turtle’s journey through the currents of life.

Ebb Tides

In order to understand a turtle’s odyssey, we must first meet the cast of characters. In the waters boarding the United States, scientists have identified six varieties of Sea Turtles.

• Green
• Loggerhead
• Kemp’s ridley
• Leatherback
• Hawksbill
• Olive ridley

Each kind of turtle spends its life beneath the waves until the females come ashore to dig their nests and lay their eggs. Most of a Sea Turtle’s life remains obscure and solitary, swimming vast distances to feed and reproduce.

In fact, Oltmann credits her move to Folly Beach to Sea Turtles. In 2015, she struggled knowing if the move was the right decision. “I asked for a sign from God,” she explained.

Then, while walking along the beach, Oltmann met a woman who showed her a nesting site as dawn broke over the sea. Oltmann took this experience as her sign, and she’s called Folly Beach home ever since. She sought to become involved in local conservation and joined the Sea Turtle patrol.  The program is permitted through the South Carolina DNR Marine Conversation Program. Volunteers devote their time and energy to the engrossing work of conservation.

Riding Waves

“I’m in the company of very special people because when we get up in the mornings and we hit the beach (to look for nests), it can be 100 degrees outside and we’re still out there. If it rains, we’re out there in the rain. The only time we’re not on the beach is if it’s thundering and lightning, but I have sat in my car and waited for the storm to pass and gone back out,” Oltmann said in previous comments.

From May until the end of October, Oltmann patrols Folly Beach along with fellow volunteers to find and mark nesting sites. These nests are dug by Loggerhead Turtles. Oltmann described her tasks in a cheerful but serious manner. Each egg is counted and the site monitored until the hatchlings emerge. “I’m on call 24/7,” Oltmann said. “I love it.”

So far, in the 2025 nesting season, 54 nesting sites have been found. “The numbers are a little bit down,” Oltmann admitted. However, nesting season does not end until August, thus giving the Loggerheads more time.

On the technical side of things, Oltmann said that an egg (one that did not make it) is taken from each nest for the purpose of scientific research. The shell surrounding the hatchling contains the mother’s DNA and is sent off to the University of Georgia for analysis. Oltmann said the results are fascinating, giving a glimpse into an individual turtle’s life.

Rough Surf

Presence News asked Oltmann what are the greatest threats to young Sea Turtles after they hatch? According to Oltmann, the top predators are raccoons, coyotes (yes, they are on Folly Beach), Ghost Crabs, and people. “Clean up your trash,” Oltmann said. People pose a threat not in and of themselves, but through carelessness.

Simple curiosity can also lead to trouble, Oltmann explained. Flash photography can startle mother turtles as they seek a safe place to dig their nest. Keeping at least 25 feet away from nesting turtles is essential. Picking up one’s beach equipment, i.e. chairs, umbrellas, etc., can also save a turtle’s life.

Oltmann told the story of how a Sea Turtle became entangled in an abandoned beach chair and drug it into the sea. Sadly, the turtle died as a result of not being able to dive for food, due to the chair’s weight. “If we work together, we can save them,” Oltmann added.

Safe Harbor

When she’s not patrolling the beach, Oltmann keeps a busy schedule all year long. She enjoys interacting with children and teaching them about the wonders of the sea and coastal flatland. Oltmann will also host talks on the beach and show others the nesting sites.

Oltmann is the figure behind “Toby the Turtle,” a cartoon character through the Folly Association of Business (FAB). “Toby” teaches people of all ages about Sea Turtles in a fun and interactive way.

“I tell people what they can do to protect the turtles, like take your beach equipment off the beach because turtle babies can get stuck in them. And cover your holes. Awareness is one of the things that we can do,” Oltmann said in a previous statement.

How does Oltmann find peace and time to relax amid the busyness of activism, as well as making time for family and friends? “Sunrise is my time,” she disclosed. “I watch the world come alive.” Oltmann makes a daily pilgrimage to where the sea kisses the shore; she watches the pelicans sweep over the waves, and says she “becomes one with nature” at that moment.

“I want to be an example,” Oltmann concluded.

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