Oh Happy Day! Our First Sea Turtle Nest of the Season
posted: May 21, 2026, 9:57 AM
This morning, our Sea Turtle Patrol found a Loggerhead Sea Turtle nest on Holden Beach. We had 2 false crawls earlier this month, on 5/13 & 5/17. A false crawl is when a nesting female comes onto the beach to lay a nest but for some reason returns to the ocean without making a nest and depositing her eggs. Females will continue to lay nests through August, and hatchlings will emerge about 55-60 days after a nest is laid.
Holden Beach Turtle Patrol nesting experiences in recent years:
2025 – First False Crawl 5/10/25 and First Nest 5/22/25
2024—First False Crawl 4/25/24 and First Nest 5/18/2024
Check the “Historical Data” tab, for nesting stats since the Turtle Patrol started in 1989.
The sea turtle nesting season is in full swing. To make it safe for sea turtles and for people on the beach at night turn off ocean front lights, knock down any sandcastles and fill in any holes on the beach, do not leave trash, and remove all equipment from the beach before dark. If you see a sea turtle on the beach, call our Holden Beach Turtle Patrol STRANDING TEAM at 910-754-0766. Watch sea turtles quietly from a safe distance, do not shine any lights on them, or take flash photos, let them safely nest and return to the water.
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