The Holden Beach Turtle Watch, or Turtle Patrol as it is usually referred to, was founded in 1989 to monitor and protect the sea turtle population on Holden Beach. This all volunteer, nonprofit conservation organization operates under the authority of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. The program currently has approximately 65 members. Learn more..

Baby Loggerhead Turtle

What we do!

Starting in May, volunteers begin a dawn patrol of the beach searching for turtle crawls and possible nests. Once a sea turtle crawl is found, a team of turtle patrol volunteers assembles at the crawl location to find the eggs. If the nest is in an unsafe location, the nest will be carefully moved to a safer area on the beach. The nest site is then covered with a protective grating and marked off with stakes, ribbon and a warning sign. For the next 50-70 days of incubation the nest will be monitored for signs of an impending hatching. At that time, turtle patrol members will start a nightly watch on the nest until all of the hatchlings are released. The nest is then opened and an inventory is taken to account for any unhatched or non-fertile egg and insure that all live babies make it to the ocean. This process is repeated with each and every nest. The season ends in October when the last nest hatches.

Call our 24/7 Stranding Team at
910- 754-0766

Please only call this number for turtle emergencies!

Found a mother laying a nest? A stranded or injured sea turtle and/or unattended hatchlings? Call the HBTP Stranding Team at: 910-754-0766

This refrigerator magnet should be in every beach front home. If not contact your rental agent or any turtle patrol member you see on the beach.

T-Shirts now available by mail!

Even if you can't make it to Holden Beach this summer, you can own this year’s HBTP Shirt. The shirts are now available by mail.

Send your name, address, shirt size and check (sorry, we can't do credit cards) to:

Holden Beach Turtle Patrol
PO Box 487
Supply, NC 28462

New shirt prices and styles—we now have long sleeve shirts and hats:

Short sleeve
Youth $15
Adults S-XL $17
2X and 3X $20

Long Sleeve
S-XL $22
2XL and 3XL $25

HBTP hats--$20

Shipping and Handling
1 shirt $8
2-7 shirts $13
8+ shirts $18

Make checks payable to HBTP

The Statistics For 2020
Current Nest Count	False Crawls
65	82
Total Known Eggs	Total Baby Turtles to Ocean
5479	1847

Most Recent Updates & News:

Equipment on the beach

posted: October 7, 2020, 11:01 AM

A couple of weeks ago we announced that the "turtle season" is over for 2020 on Holden Beach. But there is still some Turtle Patrol equipment still on the beach. This equipment may look just like the marking of a turtle nest, but sadly, these are not viable nests. We ...click to read more of this news article.

Turtle Season is Over for 2020

posted: September 25, 2020, 11:31 AM

The HBTP has declared the turtle season on Holden Beach officially over. The last known viable nest (#65) closed this past Wednesday night. (9/23) . They had 7 babies march into the water that evening....these are really “survivors”. The patrol will no longer have volunteers riding the beach in the ...click to read more of this news article.

Still hopeful

posted: September 21, 2020, 1:29 PM

Beach walkers and also the morning riders have been on the alert for signs of the lost turtle nests. This past week several pieces of equipment from nests that were lost during the hurricane have been found. Also predators such as fox and crabs have been digging up eggs. Twice ...click to read more of this news article.

As recommended by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, it is the policy of the HBTP to NOT disclose the locations or potential hatch dates of active turtle nests on our beach. A listing of nest locations will NOT be published in newspapers, on this website or on other social media. Please don’t call the emergency number or contact the webmaster to ask about nests. This is for the safety of the turtles!

*** You can view Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program Historical Data here. ***

We are excited to provide video footage of a turtle nest hatching. There are 6 six video clips available for your viewing. We hope you enjoy...
Click here to visit 'The Turtle Patrol Cinema'.

The Town of Holden Beach is located midway between Wilmington, North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina -- about 40 minutes driving from each. The Town is situated on an Atlantic coastal barrier island, facing south onto the Long Bay region of Brunswick County. I-95 from the north and south, I-40 from the west and US-17 south from Wilmington or north from Myrtle Beach leads to Holden Beach -- approximately 3 hours from Raleigh, or 4 hours from Charlotte or Greensboro, or 7 hours from Asheville. For more map detail of Brunswick County, go to Brunswick Islands, and then click on "Maps".

Like: Town of Holden Beach Facebook page for turtle updates.

Visit the Town of Holden Beach web site

Thank you for buying our t-shirts at turtle talk and at Lighthouse Gifts. This is how we make money to finance the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program (like buying a new 4 wheel drive ATV). Thank all of you who let us use your walkways and visited with us on the beach night after night. You will never know how much your support and friendship on the beach means to all of us.

If you would like to contact us or make a donation, please write to us at:

Holden Beach Turtle Patrol
PO Box 487
Supply N.C. 28462