Shirts are now available at The Lighthouse Gifts Inc. on the Holden Beach causeway, at Turtle Talk and Turtle Time this summer and by mail - order shirts and other merchandise; shop here
Found a mother turtle laying a nest? A stranded or injured sea turtle and/or unattended hatchlings?
Call the HBTWP Stranding Team:
910-754-0766 | 24/7/365
Nesting turtles are frightened by lights and won't lay their eggs on a brightly lighted beach. Hatchlings will go to the lights rather than the ocean! Please help us preserve our marine life by keeping beachfront lighting off from May 1st until October 31st. learn more turtle facts
As recommended by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, it is the policy of the HBTWP to NOT disclose the locations or potential hatch dates of active turtle nests on our beach.
A list of nest locations will NOT be published in newspapers, on this website or on other social media. Please do NOT call the emergency number or contact the Project Coordinator to ask about nests. This is for the safety of the turtles! learn more about turtle nesting
Current Nest Count |
False Crawls |
16 |
12 |
Total Known Eggs |
Hatchlings to Ocean |
593 |
0 |
posted: June 18, 2025, 9:17 AM
One morning a couple of months ago, an HBTP Stranding Team found a juvenile Green sea turtle covered with barnacles, algae, and tiny crustaceans on Holden Beach. They transported the turtle to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, aka the Sea Turtle Hospital. “Peppermint” was diagnosed with Debilitated Turtle Syndrome (DTS) which is a chronic condition in sea turtles and one of the most frequent causes of strandings in NC this time of year. Turtles with DTS are generally malnourished, dehydrated, underweight or emaciated, lethargic, and frequently covered in epibionts. While trying to survive in the wild,...read more of this article.
posted: June 15, 2025, 1:35 PM
We currently have 11 nests on our beach. How's that in comparison to other years? Last year (2024) on June 13 we had 16 nests and the year before (2023) we had 15. There is still a lot of summer left in nesting season. Last year we had a total of 75 nests. If you're looking at the nest plate (sign on our nests) you may notice something new this year. There's a small QR code in the bottom right-hand corner. Use this QR code to get to this website. All the statistics for this year (and past years)...read more of this article.
posted: June 9, 2025, 12:53 PM
TURTLE TALK, a one-hour program for all ages, will be held on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. from June 18 through August 13. Learn about the lifecycle of the sea turtles and how the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program aids in the preservation of sea turtles that nest on Holden Beach. FREE CHILDREN’S TURTLE TIME, for kids 3-4 and 5-6, will be held on Wednesday afternoons at 4 p.m. from June 25 through August 6. An adult should remain with their child during the 45-minute program. The program introduces children to the world of sea turtles through hands-on play, games,...read more of this article.
posted: May 30, 2025, 10:42 AM
Our sea turtle nesting season is well underway now. We have had 4 loggerhead sea turtle nests and two false crawls on Holden Beach so far. We haven't had any new nests for two days but we are geared up and ready for a busy season. While there is a lull in the action, we would like to introduce you to the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program Board of Directors. Barb Taylor (Secretary), Deva Tucker (Director at Large), John Cifelli (President), Laura Hager (Treasurer), and Pat Cusack (Program Coordinator and Permit Holder). The HBTWP, founded in 1989, monitors and protects...read more of this article.