What did Brian discover when he followed the tracks to the sand in Hatchet?

Hatchet, a novel released in 1987 by Gary Paulsen, tells the story of thirteen-year-old Brian as he struggles to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash. Though he has great difficulty in finding food, Brian gets lucky after finding some turtle eggs.
After noticing the tracks in the sand that come out of the water by some large aquatic creature, Brian investigates and contemplates as to what biological reason the animal would have in coming to shore. He then digs in the sand nearby, discovering seventeen eggs that had been laid by a sea turtle.
This particular moment is quite significant in telling Brian's story. He feels a boost of confidence in his survival skills, as he was able to find the eggs, eat them without much issue, and even determine the animal that laid them. However, he is unable to feel fully satisfied, as he realizes he needs to ration his eggs rather than eat them all now. This, in itself, is a powerful moment for Brian, as his survival skills that tell him to ration begin to overpower his more fearful and forcefully optimistic thoughts that he is going to be rescued so soon that rationing would be pointless.
In this moment, Brian realizes that he may be able to survive in the wilderness. However, he also begins to truly accept that he may have to survive in the wilderness for a long time.