This action is an indicator that the turtle has begun to lay her eggs and can be approached by researchers without disturbing her. Some green turtles have also been observed to cover the exposed egg chamber with one of their rear flippers. With shallow egg chambers, some eggs may spill out on either side of the chamber. These eggs may be crushed by the turtle as she begins to fill in her egg chamber after she has deposited the clutch. Once the turtle has deposited all of her eggs, she will cover the egg-filled chamber with sand, shoveling it in and packing it down with her rear flippers.
Some species slap down or knead the sand, using the weight of their bodies to pack down the area.
When the turtle has finished covering and packing the sand down on top of her eggs, she will then begin to swipe sand with her front flippers, flinging it back over the nest site. The resulting nest site will have a characteristic mound of sand over part of the turtle's tracks and nest site, as well as a small escarpment made from where the turtle used her front flippers to scrape away at the sand, flinging it back over her nest. Leatherback and green turtles both leave characteristically large and widely flung mounds of sand. When covering is complete, the turtle will crawl back to the ocean, leaving tracks as she exits the beach. Occasionally, a nesting turtle may emerge from the ocean but not lay eggs on the beach.