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Turtle News | The Lastest Scute

Grant to Wildlife Partner Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter

posted: February 18, 2025, 12:57 PM

This is For the Birds……. The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol, has made a $2,000 Grant to wildlife partner, The Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter on Oak Island. Sea Biscuit is a 503(c)(3) non-profit organization with an all-volunteer staff dedicated to providing medical treatment for hooked, netted, or otherwise injured or orphaned or sick, wild coastal birds. The Shelter acts like a hospital, recovery and rehabilitation center for endangered coastal bird species and every animal brought there....read more of this article.

Thank You to the Turtle Hospital

posted: January 18, 2025, 10:40 AM

The Board of Directors for the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol (HBTP) met with Kathy Zagzebski, the Executive Director for the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (KBSTRRC), at the turtle hospital and toured the Sea Turtle Sick Bay. The HBTP Stranding Team took a total of 6 sick or injured sea turtles found on Holden Beach to the hospital in 2024 for treatment, care, and rehabilitation. HBTP awarded a $5,000 grant to...read more of this article.

SOLD OUT

posted: November 29, 2024, 9:21 AM

All of our 2024 T-shirts celebrating 35 years of sea turtle conservation on Holden Beach are gone. We have sold out completely of our 2024 products...including hats and tote bags. Thanks to everyone for your tremendous support this year. But it won't be long until we reveal the 2025 shirt. We did have many entries into the "design the shirt" contest and the shirt committee is working with the winner to get the design on...read more of this article.

Turtle Season over for 2024

posted: October 11, 2024, 11:53 AM

Well, our final nest boiled on September 24! This nest had a total of 54 babies hatch! This brings our "unofficial" total of hatchlings for the season 5385! We had 67 total nests and 7278 eggs laid on Holden Beach. If you still haven't gotten your 2024 "Celebrating 35 Years of Helping Sea Turtles" shirt---there are very limited quantities of short sleeved shirts left. But we do have some long-sleeved shirts--perfect for this weather. You...read more of this article.

Down to the last few nests!

posted: September 14, 2024, 12:34 PM

Only a few nests left on Holden Beach for this season. The final nest is being collared tonight (Saturday September 14). We anticipate it will hatch within the next 10-15 days. Since nights are getting cooler, incubation may take a little longer. The excitement this past week was another wild nest found bringing our total to 67 nests this year to 67. This number is very comparable to what we've had the past few years....read more of this article.

Help us design next year's shirt!

posted: September 12, 2024, 5:20 PM

Do you love turtles and have a talent for graphic design? Then get your creative cap on! The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program is holding the first ever contest for the creation of an original design for the 2025 season T-Shirt. PLEASE note these requirements: * The design must include a sea turtle. * The design must be an original design. * The design is limited to 2 colors. * The design submission must be...read more of this article.

Busy time on the beach

posted: August 26, 2024, 1:34 PM

Special shout out to one of our long-time volunteers for being our statistics person all summer. She updated the statistics on this webpage every day! That's not an easy task. Especially now when we have many nests on the beach, and they are hatching almost every evening. The numbers of nests are changing, and the numbers of hatchlings into the ocean change every day. The last momma seen on our beach was on July 26....read more of this article.

Back to Business as Usual

posted: August 11, 2024, 10:16 AM

It's back to business as usual for our turtle patrol members after a week of rain and wind from Tropical Storm Debby. Sadly, we did lose a few nests from this storm. But also, good news those hatchlings were anxious to get to the water and several nests "boiled" in between the bands of the storm. Thanks to visitors calling our stranding team and our fabulous assistant coordinators checking the nests, our teams were able...read more of this article.

Tropical Storm Debby

posted: August 6, 2024, 12:41 PM

We have cancelled Turtle Talk and Children's Turtle time scheduled for this week (Wednesday 8/7) due to the impending storm. There are two more Turtle Talks scheduled for Wednesdays August 14 and 21 at 7 p.m. at the Holden Beach Chapel. We've had several questions about what we'll do for the turtle nests during the storm. This is one of those times when we have to let Mother Nature do her thing. For the safety...read more of this article.

Lots of activity on the beach

posted: July 27, 2024, 4:57 PM

It's been an action-packed week on the beach for turtle patrol members and visitors. We've had 2 new nests this week. Yes, this is slowing down, indicating that we are nearing the end of the nesting season. However, we did have a "surprise" this week--one of our false crawls from back in May---turned into nest #61 ---when our morning rider spotted a depression forming. That momma turtle did a great job of hiding those eggs...read more of this article.

Kemp's Ridley Rescue July 22

posted: July 23, 2024, 4:39 PM

Numerous calls came in from vacationers who reported seeing a turtle struggling in the surf. Thank you for calling! When the stranding team arrived, she was on the shore and the turtle was identified as a Kemp’s Ridley. These are the smallest sea turtle in the world and the most endangered sea turtle species. They usually do not lay nests on our beach, but are frequently seen swimming off our beaches. Many of the vacationers...read more of this article.

First nest to hatch in NC

posted: July 21, 2024, 10:55 AM

Nest 2 boiled overnight on Monday July 15 making it the first nest to hatch in NC this season. About 100 hatchlings made it down the long, dark runway into the ocean. Other nests are being "collared" when they reach 50 days after they were laid, when doing this we add landscape collars, edging and ramps to each nest to help guide turtles toward the ocean. Due to recommendations from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission,...read more of this article.

Teams begin watching for hatchlings

posted: July 14, 2024, 9:58 AM

Turtle patrol teams are now on the beach in the evenings preparing and watching the nests. Fifty days after the mother laid the turtle nest a team puts a "collar" on the nest and digs a "trench" to help guide the hatchlings toward the ocean. Day #55 after the nest was laid is the "due date". But, with early season nests it may take a little longer to incubate because the sand was cooler when...read more of this article.

4th of July Rescue

posted: July 5, 2024, 11:54 AM

Our stranding team got several calls on July 4 regarding a sea turtle in the surf off of out beach. Upon responding, "Stranding Team Tucker" observed the turtle in obvious distress. With the help of many beachgoers, they were able to bring the turtle to shore. The turtle was taken to the The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City. She had a shallow heartbeat when she got to the hospital....read more of this article.

Season is well underway

posted: July 1, 2024, 2:42 PM

July 1 and our turtle season is well underway. We currently have 39 nests on the beach (slightly ahead of where we were last year on this date). Evening teams will begin to "watch" the first nests starting next weekend and expect to see our first hatchlings within the next few weeks. We begin these watches 50 days after the nests were laid and typically incubation takes 50-60 days...some of these early nests usually take...read more of this article.

Children's Turtle Time starts June 26

posted: June 21, 2024, 12:46 PM

Our first Children's Turtle Time will begin on Wednesday June 26 at 4 p.m. This program is specifically for children ages 3 – 4 and 5 – 6. An adult should remain with the child during the 45-minute program. If a family has two or more children that fall within both age groups, it is advisable that two adults attend. The program introduces young children to the world of sea turtles through hands-on play, games,...read more of this article.

Turtle Talk starts June 19--7 p.m.

posted: June 10, 2024, 10:21 AM

Turtle Talk will begin on June 19 and will be held every Wednesday through August 21. This program will start at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Holden Beach Chapel. Please note the time IS 7 p.m. there are some signs around the island that say 7:30--- this is WRONG and we're working to correct this. Please come prior to 7 p.m. All family members are welcome. There will be a slide show,...read more of this article.

Ahead of last year

posted: June 2, 2024, 7:31 PM

As of June 2, we have had 13 sea turtle nests on Holden Beach. On June 6 last year we had just 10 nests. Does this mean we'll have more than the 75 (our total last year) nests that we had last year.....who knows. The last few days, we've had just one nest a day...but that's OK... a female turtle will return every 2 weeks or so to lay another nest of eggs! She may...read more of this article.

They are here!

posted: May 19, 2024, 1:55 PM

After one false crawl in late April and all the islands around us reporting nests....FINALLY, our first nest was found on Saturday May 18. If that wasn't enough on Sunday May 19, we had TWO more nests and a false crawl. It's safe to say the season has begun. The eggs on all three of these nests were found, left in the place where the momma laid them and marked. We can expect to see...read more of this article.

We're still waiting

posted: May 10, 2024, 11:46 AM

Waiting...waiting...waiting. We still have not had our first nest of the season. There has been a nest on Oak Island---first in the state. Last year our first nest was May 12. In 2020 it was May 11. The earliest we've ever recorded was May 8 in 2021 The most frequent date (4 times) was May 20. If you'd like to see the complete First Nest History...check it out on the Photo section of this website....read more of this article.

The 2024 Sea Turtle Season has Started

posted: May 1, 2024, 6:36 PM

Officially the sea turtle season on Holden Beach is May 1 through October 31, but this year the turtles appear to be anxious to get it started! Last week on April 23 we had our first false crawl of the season. The stranding phone got a call (thank you) that a turtle was seen on the beach on the east end of the island. The momma did not lay her eggs...so maybe she'll be back...read more of this article.

Dates set for summer educational programs

posted: March 28, 2024, 4:43 PM

We've set our dates for our traditional summer educational programs. Turtle Talk for all ages will be held on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. from June 19 through August 24. Children's Turtle Time will be at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays June 26 through August 7. This is for children 3-6 years old. Both programs are free of charge and will be held at the Holden Beach Chapel. Our Outreach team is also available to come...read more of this article.

Turtle Season will be here soon!

posted: February 9, 2024, 4:56 PM

The 2024 Turtle Season on Holden Beach will start on May 1. If you're interested in becoming a HBTP volunteer, now is the time to apply. Send a message to Pat Cusack our Program Coordinator from this website's Contact page or directly to coordinator@hbturtlewatch.org for an application or to learn more about qualifications and requirements. Typically, a new volunteer will be a "trainee" for an entire summer. Being a trainee involves working on the beach...read more of this article.

Donation to the Turtle Hospital

posted: February 2, 2024, 2:22 PM

The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program (also known as the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol) recently donated to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (KBSTRRC). Sick or injured sea turtles found on our beach are taken to this turtle hospital in Surf City, NC for care and rehabilitation. Pictured left left to right---Kathy Zagzebski, Executive Director Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center; John Cifelli, President Holden Beach Turtle Patrol Board of...read more of this article.

The 2024 Shirt Committee

posted: January 26, 2024, 9:16 AM

The 2024 shirt committee has been working hard this winter and the 2024 shirt is now available! Committee members just picked up the order for the year. See history of the 2024 shirt in the photo section of this website. You can order them by mail at the SHOP link, too. They've added a few new items this year....totes and a special hat! You can be one of the first to on one of these...read more of this article.

Annual end-of-the-year celebration

posted: November 19, 2023, 1:26 PM

Do you recognize any of these folks all dressed up without their red shirts? Congratulations to all for a wonderful season. ...read more of this article.

Get them while you can!

posted: November 3, 2023, 8:03 AM

We had a great weekend meeting folks at the Festival By the Sea! Thanks to everyone who came by our booth! We have almost sold out of all of the 2023 T-shirts! These shirts are only available for this year and we won't be ordering more. Right now, the only short sleeved shirts we have are LARGE youth shirts. We have all sizes of adult long-sleeved shirts. But quantities are limited. We do not have...read more of this article.

Completed our 35th season

posted: October 9, 2023, 8:26 AM

The final nest on our beach was inventoried on Sunday October 8 marking the end of the turtle season. The team found 35 empty shells, 9 non viable eggs and 1 live baby that was sent along its way to the ocean. The official statistics for the year: 75 nests. 6252 hatchlings released into ocean. 8747 known eggs. First nest laid in May 12 and last nest laid on August 10. This photo was taken...read more of this article.

Four nests left

posted: September 17, 2023, 1:06 PM

This year’s turtle season is winding down. We have had 75 nests this season making this a record-breaking year. The only year that the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program has recorded more nests was in 2019 with 105 nests. The next highest years were 1988 and 2013 with 73. There are still 4 nests on Holden Beach that we are watching. You may wonder how we gain more nests this late in the season. These...read more of this article.

Storm Update

posted: September 3, 2023, 4:36 PM

We quickly went from an abundance of nests and hatchlings to a quiet time for us to reflect on the busy season. Our teams have been out since Friday morning (September 1) evaluating the status of the sea turtle nests on our beach. The King tides, offshore hurricane Franklin and Tropical Storm Idalia combined for a difficult week. We lost at least 10 nests to wind, rain and high tides. There are still seven nests...read more of this article.

Hatchlings, hatchlings, hatchlings

posted: August 23, 2023, 5:28 PM

Nesting season is almost over on our beach. The last nest laid this year was on August 10 (#69) -- we wait two weeks after that date to make it "officially" closed. But this doesn't mean our work is over, there are many volunteers out on the beach each evening and the hatchling count is going up and up each day. Currently 39 of our 72 nests have hatched and so far 3911 hatchlings have...read more of this article.

ADDITIONAL TURTLE TALK --AUGUST 16

posted: August 11, 2023, 6:57 AM

There has been so much excitement on the beach---the momma turtles are still coming mornings and nests are hatching in the evenings! This is a busy and fun time of the year. Because of so much interest in sea turtles we've added and EXTRA Turtle Talk onto our season! There will be Turtle Talk Wednesday August 16 @ 7 p.m. at the Holden Beach Chapel. Turtle Talk is an educational and fun program that shows...read more of this article.

Season changing

posted: July 31, 2023, 2:12 PM

As we enter into August, our work on the beach transitions from mother turtles digging and laying nests to hatchlings emerging from these nests. Typically, the eggs incubate in their sandy nests for 50-60 days before hatching. Our members on the beach in the evenings as the “due dates” for the nests approach. This past week we saw fewer mother turtles in the mornings ---only 2 new nests---bringing the total for the season to 66...read more of this article.

Nest #1 and Nest #3 closed

posted: July 24, 2023, 1:24 PM

Nest #1 was "closed" and inventoried Sunday evening July 23. The team found 80 shells, 21 unhatched eggs and five hatchlings went into the ocean in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Congratulations to the whole team! Nest #3 "closed" on Monday morning July 24. The team found 113 shells and 29 unhatched eggs. Adoption teams are on the beach every evening watching nests that we anticipate will hatch soon. Look for the red shirts and...read more of this article.

Nest #1 Hatched July 20

posted: July 21, 2023, 8:43 AM

Hatchlings! Excited to report that nest #1 boiled the evening of July 20. There are a lot of number 1s associated with this nest: First nest on our beach this year (laid on May 12---so it boiled on day 70). The team was there to see 50 hatchlings into the ocean before the lightening chased them off the beach. They saw 5 more hatchlings emerge later in the evening. This was the first nest dug...read more of this article.

Ahead of last year.

posted: July 15, 2023, 12:31 PM

Friday night and Saturday morning was extra busy for the Mama Turtles on Holden. Daybreak revealed THREE NEW NESTS as well as two more false crawls. Our rider was fortunate to see one of the Mamas at daybreak. 2023 has already produced 56 NESTS, and that is only 9 short of last year’s total! Still plenty of time left for more nesting this season. Teams have "collared" or prepared our first three nests on the...read more of this article.

Mid-season report

posted: July 5, 2023, 4:38 PM

We're about halfway through this year's turtle season! We have 42 nests so far this year (we had 41 nests on this date last year). There have been 54 false crawls this year compared to 49 last year. Our first teams are beginning to "watch" nests during the evening this week. Nest #1 that was laid on May 12 is due to hatch on July 6 (that would be 55 days after it was laid)...read more of this article.

Update

posted: June 20, 2023, 12:13 PM

As of June 20 we have 21 nests and 29 false crawls on our beach. Last year on this date we had 25 nests. These numbers could change quickly....last Sunday June 18 we had 3 nests and 4 false crawls in just one morning. Mother turtles can nest into mid-August. We can expect to see hatchlings in mid-July from those nests that were laid in early May. Incubation usually takes 55-60 days. Children's Turtle Time...read more of this article.

Slow week

posted: June 5, 2023, 4:14 PM

Update....It's been a quiet week for the Turtle Patrol. Our riders have been out early mornings, we've only found 2 new nests and 5 false crawls since May 27. One lucky rider saw the mother turtle on the beach and called our stranding team in to search for the eggs. Updates and reminders...Turtle Talk and Children's Turtle Time activities start on Wednesday June 28. We're changing location. These activities will be held at the Holden...read more of this article.

We've been busy

posted: May 26, 2023, 10:34 AM

We've been busy since the first nest almost two weeks ago. We now have 7 nests along with 7 false crawls. So far teams have moved 689 eggs. A false crawl is when the mother turtle comes ashore...looking for just the right spot, but doesn't find it....or something frightens her away. We had an interesting false crawl last week where the mother tried three times to get over the embankment on the beach, when she...read more of this article.

Nest #1

posted: May 15, 2023, 5:42 PM

Our first nest was laid on Friday May 12. YEAH!! This determined mother turtle climbed up over a steep and high escarpment to lay her nest. The team moved the nest further back on to the beach away from the escarpment and the tideline. There were 113 eggs. We can expect it to hatch around July 4. Please remember: if you see a mother turtle on the beach, do not approach her--you might frighten her...read more of this article.

Anxiously awaiting

posted: May 7, 2023, 7:56 AM

The turtle nesting season started on May 1 here in Holden Beach. Our riders began early morning searches for signs of mother turtles laying eggs on our beach. So far, we have not found any evidence. There have been nests recorded in South Carolina and on May 6, 2023 the first nest was found in North Carolina on Masonboro Island. We hope they'll find Holden Beach soon. The earliest date we've recorded of a nest...read more of this article.

We have new shirts!

posted: April 19, 2023, 5:21 PM

The 2023 HBTP annual shirt is now available! They are in-stock at the Lighthouse Gift store. They can also be purchased by mail from the MERCH section of this website. We will also be at Days at the Docks on April 29 and 30 selling shirts and talking about what we do to help the sea turtles that nest on our beach. The theme of this year's shirt is: Our Journey Begins. The designed is...read more of this article.

Turtle Talk dates set

posted: March 24, 2023, 8:31 AM

We have good news! The dates for this summer's educational programs have been set. More good news! We'll be back at the Holden Beach Town Hall for these activities. Turtle Talk will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays June 28, July 5, 12, 19, 26 and August 2 and 9. This program is designed for all ages. HBTP members will share what we do on the beach to protect the sea turtles that nest...read more of this article.

Turtle Talk on the Road

posted: February 14, 2023, 3:23 PM

We're taking our popular Turtle Talk program on the road! Members of our Turtle Patrol are available to come to your local classroom, club, church or service organization to talk about our organization and how we help the sea turtles that nest on Holden Beach. This could be an in-person presentation with Power Points and or an on-line Zoom presentation. We're available for groups of all ages.... pre-school to adults. Contact Beth at sheepacres@gmail.com for...read more of this article.

Join the Turtle Patrol

posted: January 21, 2023, 2:02 PM

We are currently accepting applications for new volunteers. Training for HBTWP volunteers will begin in April and continue through the turtle season this summer. For more information on becoming a volunteer/trainee contact Pat Cusack, Project Coordinator at hbtwp.pc@icloud.com or the Contact Us section of this website....read more of this article.

Helping to Support the Turtle Hospital

posted: January 15, 2023, 7:27 PM

We recently made a donation to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (frequently called the turtle hospital) near Topsail Island, NC. Their mission is to conserve and protect marine turtles through rescues, rehabilitation and release of sick and injured turtles. When the HBTP becomes aware of a turtle on Holden Beach needing medical treatment they are transferred to the turtle hospital. Seen in photo... (l-r) MaryK McGinley, HBTP Treasurer and Pat Cusack,...read more of this article.

Donation to Sea Biscuit

posted: January 8, 2023, 10:27 AM

The HBTP gives back to partner organization. Project Director, Pat Cusack recently gave a $1000 donation from the HBTP to Mary Ellen Rogers, President of the Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter https://www.seabiscuitwildlifeshelter.org/ on Oak Island. This is a non-profit wild bird rehabilitation organization that provides medical treatment for wild birds that are injured, sick, or orphaned. Sea Biscuit is who we call when we become aware of birds needing assistance on Holden Beach. ...read more of this article.

Get them while they last

posted: November 20, 2022, 8:46 AM

The shelves are almost empty. These are the last of the 2022 Holden Beach Turtle Watch T-shirts. Only a few sizes left...Adult Small and Youth S, M and L. Prices are reduced to $10 each. They can be purchased at the Lighthouse Gift shop or on-line through our website (see lower left corner of front page.) They will make great stocking stuffers for the turtle lovers in your life. Note of caution: email the shirt...read more of this article.

2022 Turtle Season Over

posted: September 30, 2022, 9:42 AM

The Sea Turtle season on Holden Beach was declared officially over Wednesday evening when the final nest was closed out---just in time to beat the threat of hurricane Ian. When the nest closed the team found 113 eggshells and 18 unhatched eggs. The total number of known turtle eggs on the beach this year was 7255 with 5968 hatchlings into the water. This is an 82% hatch rate....which we consider fairly good considering our problems...read more of this article.

Shirts are selling out.

posted: September 24, 2022, 1:22 PM

As the season ends the numbers of sea turtle nests on the beach dwindles....so do the 2022 HBTP shirts. We still have all sizes of the long sleeve adult shirts, but are sold out of select youth and short sleeve adult shirts. Shirts are still available at the Lighthouse Gift Shop on the causeway (look for pink building with green dots) or by mail on this website (left bottom of home page). Hint..if you're ordering...read more of this article.

Wild Nest #65

posted: September 6, 2022, 2:48 PM

We have nest #65! It is what we call a WILD nest. Back on July 15 a mother came ashore. The early morning rider found the tracks, but it was identified as False Crawl #62. We didn't think she had laid a nest. But she had! It hatched yesterday (52 days after it was laid). Vacationers reported hatchling tracks on the beach. A team of eight volunteers followed small tracks for over an hour, but...read more of this article.

Turtle Patrol is So Thankful

posted: September 2, 2022, 12:02 PM

One of the most amazing occurrences that happen each summer is when Turtle Patrol members and residents and guests of Holden Beach develop new relationships centered around the love of turtles. Teams of Turtle Patrol members adopt and sit on a nest starting on Day 50 after the mama lays the eggs. As a team, members meet each evening and take care of their nest waiting patiently for the big night when it boils and...read more of this article.

Nesting Season

posted: August 29, 2022, 12:24 PM

The 2022 sea turtle nesting season is "officially" over for the Holden Beach! It has been over 14 days since we've had a mother turtle appearance on our beach. That makes 64 nests for this year! That doesn't mean the turtle season is over. There are still 26 nest on the beach that have not hatched. We anticipate being on the beach "watching" nests until early October. **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on...read more of this article.

North Carolina Sea Turtles

posted: August 22, 2022, 12:19 PM

There are five species of Sea Turtles that have been known to nest in North Carolina: Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, Kemp's Ridley and Hawksbill. In recent history (last 15 years) of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol we have recorded all but the Hawksbill on our beach. Hawksbill turtles usually lay further south in the Caribbean and only occasionally come this far north. Loggerhead turtles are the species we see most frequently and what we’ve had so...read more of this article.

Nest Closing

posted: August 17, 2022, 2:49 PM

Closing or Inventorying a nest is done three days after the nest has boiled. At that time the team digs into the nest in search of any hatchlings that may be trapped. The egg shells are counted to determine the number of hatchlings. There may also be undeveloped eggs in the nest. This is a popular event on the beach because frequently a few hatchlings can be seen heading to the water. When the closing...read more of this article.

Number One Turtle Question!

posted: August 10, 2022, 2:31 PM

The #1 turtle question asked on the beach...."when is it going to hatch?" We don't really know, but one of the biggest "hints" is when a nest gets a DEPRESSION. This is when the center of the nest starts to cave in. This is caused by the eggs underneath breaking open and the sand falling into the hole. When this happens we know the turtles are beginning to move around underneath. Will they hatch soon?...read more of this article.

Day 50

posted: August 7, 2022, 2:02 PM

This is a "collared" nest. We currently have many of these on the beach. A nest is collared when landscape edging is placed around the nest to help keep hatchlings from walking towards the dunes. A trench is dug as a "highway to the ocean" for the hatchlings. Nests are collared by Turtle Patrol members 50 days after the mother laid the eggs. Turtle Patrol members will watch these nests each evening in anticipation of...read more of this article.

Details of what's happened on the beach so far this season!

posted: August 2, 2022, 1:07 PM

What’s happening on the beach…as of Tuesday August 2, 2022 This is the busiest time of the year for the Turtle Patrol…as we still have nesting turtles on the beach as well as nests hatching. Here are our current statistics...in detail. We’ve had 61 nests laid this season. Nest #61 was laid on 8/1 (nesting season still happening!) False crawls—70 Known eggs—2595 (this means the nests were moved and eggs counted) Nests moved to date...read more of this article.

Two Boils an Hour Apart!

posted: July 28, 2022, 4:23 PM

Oh, what a night! Two nests laid on the same night decided to boil together an hour apart! The team overseeing both nests was there to ensure that all babies safely made it to the water. It is an amazing site to see 242 baby loggerheads make it to the water. **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Holden Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST11)**...read more of this article.

Red shirts on the beach

posted: July 25, 2022, 2:20 PM

There are many HBTP red shirts on the beach both morning and evening. Last week that hatching season started with five nests boiling and hatchlings going into the water. We also had problems with a fox on the beach last week, she was able to dig up one of the nests. The volunteer team added a metal fox cage to try to keep her out...but she was "foxy" and was able to get into the...read more of this article.

Too many false crawls--we need your help.

posted: July 16, 2022, 2:59 PM

This week we've had a large number of false crawls on our beach. We've had 12 new false crawls since Tuesday with 8 of them on Thursday morning alone. As of Saturday July 16, we have 50 nests and 62 false crawls on our beach for the season. So far, no hatchlings, but any day now we expect some! A 'False Crawl' happens when a female sea turtle crawls on the beach but reenters the...read more of this article.

Busy Time of Year

posted: July 11, 2022, 9:53 AM

The Turtle Patrol has a lot of things going on this time of year. Our morning riders are still out each day at dawn looking for tracks of mother turtles. Nesting season could go on for six more weeks. This week our teams will start "watching" nests in the evenings. It has been 50 days since our early nests were laid in May. These nests should hatch within the next couple of weeks. Each Wednesday...read more of this article.

More than last year

posted: July 5, 2022, 4:38 PM

As of Tuesday July 5, there are 41 turtle nests on Holden Beach. This is higher than we had last year at this time (see News from 6/27/21---we had 28 nests). There are potentially 6 to 8 more weeks for nesting mothers! These photos were taken of nests that were found Saturday morning July 2. Nests #36 and #37. Nest #36 was left where the mother laid it but #37 was 141 eggs were moved...read more of this article.

Programs start Wednesday!

posted: June 26, 2022, 5:10 PM

Our Children's Turtle Time and Turtle Talk programs start this Wednesday! Join us that the Holden Beach Chapel. Children's program is at 4 p.m. for youth 3-6. Crafts, stories and age-appropriate activities. Turtle Talk at 7 p.m. for the whole family. Come learn about the sea turtles that nest on our beach. Both programs free of charge. This year's HBTP shirts will be on sale at both events....read more of this article.

A Cautionary Tale from Our Stranding Team

posted: June 20, 2022, 11:59 AM

Sharing a report from our Stranding Team. On Thursday evening June 16 at 10:30 p.m. our Stranding Team got a phone call on our emergency telephone regarding a turtle on the beach. The team arrived to find a mother turtle laying eggs. When she was done covering the eggs instead of heading back into the water, the mother turtle headed toward the homes and past the sand fence. Team members reported that there were several...read more of this article.

Busy night for mother turtles

posted: June 12, 2022, 12:12 PM

Last night was a busy night for mother turtles on Holden Beach and a busy morning for Turtle Patrol members. The morning rider found seven different crawls (tracks of mother turtles) on the beach this morning. Teams found eggs at four of these nests and the other three were determined to be false crawls. Maybe they knew that June 12 was Loggerhead Sea Turtle Day. https://www.seaturtleweek.com/ Today's rider and a few lucky vacationers were able...read more of this article.

False Crawls

posted: June 4, 2022, 11:40 AM

So far this year we have 13 nests on our beach and we've also had 17 false crawls. A false crawl is when a mother turtle comes up onto the beach--but for some reason she doesn't lay her eggs. There are several reasons why she changes her mind: she could have been frightened (possibly people on the beach or loud noises) or perhaps she didn't like the feel of the sand or perhaps she just...read more of this article.

Holden Beach Turtle Patrol Trainees

posted: May 26, 2022, 8:33 AM

It is that time of the year when the trainees for the Turtle Watch Program start preparation for saving our endangered friends. They go through an introduction to the program with Pat Cusack, the head of the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program. He holds the license with the state to make sure the team is following all the state guidelines. The newbies go out to the beach to a simulated turtle nest. They are trained...read more of this article.

Celebrate National Turtle Day

posted: May 23, 2022, 7:28 AM

World Turtle Day is observed every year on May 23rd with the purpose of increasing attention and knowledge about turtles and tortoises. It was founded in 1990 by the American Tortoise Rescue (ATR). The ATR's mission is to educate people about things they can do to protect the habitats of turtles and tortoises. Holden Beach is a Turtle Sanctuary. The mission of Holden Beach Turtle Patrol is, "To protect and preserve the sea turtle population...read more of this article.

Turtle Season 2022 has Officially Begun

posted: May 21, 2022, 3:52 PM

The 2022 turtle season has officially begun! Our first nest was spotted by our morning riders on May 21. The nest is covered in plastic netting to keep crabs, fox, raccoons, and other predators out. The nest is then surrounded by caution tape for protection from people and vehicles. A metal hurricane stake is also buried within the enclosure which is important should the other markers be washed away. A sign called a Nest Plate...read more of this article.

New UTV in 2022

posted: May 18, 2022, 12:10 PM

If you are up walking the beach early in the morning you may have noticed a rider in a red shirt driving down the beach on a four-wheel vehicle. The Turtle Watch Program recently purchased a new utility vehicle (UTV) with funds from the budget. Utility vehicles are used to look for new nests that have been laid on Holden Beach. Pete Palermo oversees the team of riders. These volunteers ride the beach every morning...read more of this article.

Safety and the Loggerhead Sea Turtles

posted: May 6, 2022, 9:34 AM

Any day now we expect the mama sea turtles to start coming onto our beach to lay their eggs. So now is the time we all need to be thinking of our turtles and how to keep the beach safe for them to nest. If the mamas get scared (lights, noise) or if they don’t find a suitable spot for their nest (trash, etc.), they will leave that spot on our beach to go back...read more of this article.

They're out there!

posted: April 26, 2022, 11:17 AM

Yes! The sea turtles are out there! The sea turtle season on Holden Beach starts on May 1. Our volunteers will begin searching the beach each morning looking for signs of a mother turtle. Last year our first nest was laid on May 8 and the year before it was May 11 (check our photo section for first nest history). As proof that they're offshore, Brandi Driggers, Assistant Interpreter at Edisto Beach State Park in...read more of this article.

2022 HTBWP Shirts are here!

posted: March 31, 2022, 7:07 AM

We are excited to offer the 2022 Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program shirts for sale. This year's shirt celebrates the first Kemp's Ridley turtle nest on Holden Beach which produced 87 hatchlings on July 14, 2021. Kemp's Ridley are the most threatened species of turtles that nest in North Carolina. The smallest of the five kinds of turtles that lay nests on our beach, this species usually nests further north in the Outer Banks. Help...read more of this article.

Fellowship Recipient

posted: March 28, 2022, 6:35 AM

We're pleased to announce the recipient of the The Judith C. Bryan, Holden Beach Turtle Watch Fellowship in Marine Biology. She is Jasmine Pierre from Fayetteville, NC. She has a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Oceanography and is currently working on a Master's Degree at UNCW. Her master's thesis topic is on diamondback terrapins. This fellowship was created by the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program to honor Judith Bryan, the founder of the...read more of this article.

Donation to Sea Turtle Hospital

posted: November 18, 2021, 12:33 PM

We recently donated $5000 to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (KBSTRRC). Sick or injured sea turtles found on our beach are taken to this turtle hospital in Surf City, NC for care and rehabilitation. The donation will be used to partially fund a new x-ray machine. X-rays are important tools for sea turtle rehabilitation, they help diagnose, treat, and monitor everything from broken bones to pneumonia to osteolysis to hook ingestion...read more of this article.

Turtle Season is Over

posted: October 13, 2021, 7:06 AM

The final turtle nest on Holden Beach has been closed for the season. Patrol members found this message on one of the last nests....it says it all...we say thank you to everyone who supported us this season....read more of this article.

Good news

posted: September 19, 2021, 9:57 AM

The HBTP received good news on Friday. The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehab Center in Surf City had a turtle release. One of their recent releases was a male Juvenile green sea turtle named Terry. He was found cold stunned here on Holden Beach and rescued by our stranding team on May 3rd of this year and taken to the sea turtle hospital. He was treated for debilitated turtle syndrome. Several of our...read more of this article.

Still nests to hatch

posted: September 6, 2021, 12:01 PM

We had another wild nest surprise Saturday night. What we thought it was a false crawl turned out to be a nest. Vacationers called the stranding team where they saw babies on the beach. The next morning a team found the nest with 122 empty shells and 10 unhatched eggs. This brings our nest count up to 168 for the season. These photos are of nest #51 closed on Saturday night. A small holiday crowd...read more of this article.

Nesting Season over for 2021

posted: August 22, 2021, 11:32 AM

It's been more than two weeks since a mother turtle has been seen on our beach. This confirms that the nesting season is over for this year. We have 67 nests. Which is up from last year, but not record breaking. Between 55 and 65 is becoming a new "normal" number of nests per year. But we're still very busy with nests hatching. Most nests hatch after dark when the sand is cooler and hopefully...read more of this article.

Patrol Members are on the beach!

posted: August 12, 2021, 4:08 PM

Busy time of year for the Turtle Patrol….beach visitors are now seeing more Turtle Patrol red shirts on the beach in the evenings than in the mornings. It has been one week since a mother turtle has been on our beach (there were two false crawls last Friday). When we have two complete weeks without signs of a nesting mother we will declare the nesting season over for the year. But the turtle season if...read more of this article.

Events CANCELLED Wednesday August 4

posted: August 3, 2021, 3:41 PM

Due to an abundance of caution and concern for the health of Turtle Patrol members and visitors to our beach we are cancelling both Children's Turtle Time and Turtle Talk scheduled for Wednesday August 4. ...read more of this article.

Wild Nest

posted: August 1, 2021, 3:43 PM

This past Friday our early morning rider found a Wild Nest. This is a nest that hatched on the beach....and we didn't know it was there. He found the tracks of hatchlings headed to the water. Luckily this nest was on the far west end of the beach where there are less people and lights to distract the hatchlings. Actually we did know that this mother turtle came ashore on May 29 when the morning...read more of this article.

Exciting time on our beach

posted: July 25, 2021, 7:07 PM

Finally after waiting for several weeks nests 2 and 3 boiled this week with hatchlings headed to the ocean. This is a an exciting time of the year with Turtle Patrol members "watching" nests in the evenings looking for signs of hatchlings, while mother turtles are still nesting . Twice this past week our members were witnesses to mother turtles coming ashore during the evening while they were on the beach. These are photos of...read more of this article.

Nest # 1 Hatches

posted: July 18, 2021, 4:20 PM

For 17 nights the team went to the beach waiting and watching a sea turtle nest. These members of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol (HBTP) had adopted nest #1. They went home Tuesday night July 13 disappointed again because there was no sign that the nest was ready to hatch. Then the phone call came early Wednesday morning, the morning rider saw hatchlings coming out of the nest. The team quickly assembled on the beach...read more of this article.

Waiting...still waiting

posted: July 11, 2021, 2:10 PM

Our Turtle Patrol teams have begun "watching" nests in the evenings. This means it is at least 50 days since the nesting turtle laid her eggs. Typically eggs hatch within 50-60 days, but early in the season (because of cooler weather) it may take longer. Teams have been watching nests 1 and 2 for at least 12 days.....nothing yet. So far no nests have hatched on Holden Beach this season (or in NC). But, nesting...read more of this article.

Turtle Talk is Back

posted: July 2, 2021, 4:01 PM

After a year and a half....Turtle Talk is back!!! Yeah! Turtle Talk shares information about the Turtle Patrol, the sea turtles and how vacationers and residents can help the sea turtles that nest on Holden Beach. Several turtle artifacts will be on display and educational materials available. The 45 minutes presentation includes a short video about the life cycle of the sea turtle. Members of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol will be available to answer...read more of this article.

Increased turtle activity on the beach

posted: June 27, 2021, 1:11 PM

After a slow several weeks, the numbers of momma turtles laying eggs on Holden Beach has really picked up....especially these past three days and each day it kept getting better and better. Friday there were two new nests (# 25 and #26) along with three false crawls (when the momma turtles comes onto the beach but doesn’t lay eggs). Saturday there were new three nests. Sunday there were four nests. Momma turtles are expected to...read more of this article.

Children's Turtle Time Wednesdays

posted: June 25, 2021, 5:09 PM

The Children's Turtle Time program WILL begin Wednesday June 30. This program is designed specifically for 3,4,5 and 6 year olds. This program will be at 4 p.m. at the Holden Beach Chapel in Holden Beach. Children's Turtle Time will be held each week through August 4. This is a special program with stories, crafts and games for younger children. Please bring a towel or blanket to sit on. This program is free of charge....read more of this article.

Children's Turtle Time Starting June 30 and 2021 Turtle Nest Update

posted: June 19, 2021, 11:46 AM

We will be holding Children's Turtle Time from 4:00 to 4:45 for the next 6 Wednesdays starting June 30 in the pavilion behind Town Hall. These programs will feature age appropriate crafts, stories and activities for children ages 3 to 6 years old. The children will be divided into two groups: ages 3 & 4 and 5 & 6. Each group will learn about the sea turtles that nest on Holden Beach. Each participant is...read more of this article.

Momma Loggerhead Laying Eggs

posted: June 8, 2021, 9:38 PM

Watching a female Loggerhead turtle laying her eggs is an event to remember. This week our early morning ATV rider was lucky enough to witness the amazing occurrence and capture a photo as well. Our morning riders are just the best!! Here are some interesting facts about momma Loggerheads: • Because of DNA studies that we are a part of at the University of Georgia, we know that the mommas come back to an "area"...read more of this article.

Turtle Talk Information

posted: May 25, 2021, 5:57 PM

Our 2021 sea turtle season is off to an amazing start. We have a total of 4 nests so far! The ATV riders are searching the beach each morning bright and early looking to spy turtle tracks, and Turtle Patrol members are ready for that morning call! Our weekly Wednesday informative Turtle Talks at Town Hall would have started June 2, however, due to continued COVID-19 restrictions at Holden Beach Town Hall, the start will...read more of this article.

Several firsts on a Saturday afternoon

posted: May 9, 2021, 6:44 PM

Not only did we have our first nest yesterday (May 8, 2021) it was a historic event! Our first nest of the season was laid Saturday afternoon around 2 p.m. So our turtle season has officially begun. This nest marks a series of firsts! 1. First Kemp's Ridley Turtle nest to be laid on our beach in Turtle Patrol History. 2. First nest in North Carolina for this season. 3. Earliest nest laid on Holden...read more of this article.

Riders are on the beach

posted: May 6, 2021, 8:05 PM

It is almost turtle time on our beach. South Carolina has reported their first turtle nest of the season...so they should be on our beach,....soon. Yesterday there was a report of an injured small green turtle near the pier. Our turtle stranding team responded. The turtle was taken to the Karen Beasley Turtle Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center near Topsail. The turtle had been hit by a boat. The hospital plans to do x-rays...read more of this article.

Almost Turtle Time

posted: April 24, 2021, 4:32 PM

Turtle Patrols in south and west Florida are reporting their first loggerhead turtle nests of the season. As the ocean water warms up here in North Carolina we should be expecting our first mommas in the next month. Our early morning riders will begin looking for mother turtle tracks on May1. Last year our first nest was laid on May 11. Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions that limit the number of people allowed at...read more of this article.

ANNOUNCING the 2021 SHIRT!

posted: March 24, 2021, 8:36 PM

There are here! The 2021 Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program shirts are in! They can be purchased locally at the Lighthouse Gift Shop on the causeway. They can also be purchased by mail. The theme of this year's shirt is "Born in the sand. I live in the Sea." We also have matching new Turtle Watch hats. The shirt is royal blue a colorful adult turtle on the front. The HBTWP logo is on the...read more of this article.

Sneak preview

posted: March 21, 2021, 11:33 AM

The committee is working hard on the 2021 Holden Beach Turtle Patrol annual T-shirt. The goal is to have it available for Easter delivery. Watch this site for availability, prices, how to order and where you can get locally in Holden Beach. This year's theme...Born in sand, I live in the Sea. ...read more of this article.

DNA DATA 2020

posted: February 13, 2021, 5:17 PM

The HBTP participates in a three state DNA study. This study takes one egg from each turtle nest on the beach. This egg shell is sent to the University of Georgia to establish the DNA of the mother turtle. With this DNA we are able identify the mother. We had 65 nests last year and have the DNA results for 59 of these nests. What we learned about the mother turtles that visited our...read more of this article.

Think of the turtles on Valentine's Day

posted: February 6, 2021, 4:59 PM

Valentine's Day will be quickly upon us. We wanted to ask that you to not release balloons into the air for the holiday. Remember what goes up, must come down and frequently these balloons will end up in our ocean, where they'll remain as pollution and pose as a huge threat to wildlife for years to come. ⁠The color fades and the string makes it look just like a jellyfish in the water....this is a...read more of this article.

End of the Year Report

posted: December 1, 2020, 8:21 PM

Hurricane Isaias was the earliest storm to hit the beach in and took 28 of our 65 nests. Eighteen nests had hatched before the hurricane hit. Amazingly we some hatchlings out of the remaining nests which allowed us to end the season on a more positive note. We had a total of 65 nests laid on Holden Beach with 5272 eggs. We released 2261 baby turtles into the ocean. Our first nest was laid on...read more of this article.

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 still have equipment marking locations where there were nests earlier this season but the nests were damaged or destroyed during the storm in early August....read more of this 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 mornings. This was a difficult year for our turtle patrol. Sixty-five nests would be considered an “good” to “above average” year for Holden Beach, but...read more of this 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 when eggs were found on the beach HBTP members went out searching and digging with hope to find one of the lost nests. One team...read more of this article.

More Surprises

posted: September 2, 2020, 6:39 PM

The last two known nests that survived Hurricane Isaias boiled and were recently closed. But, that’s not the last from the nests laid on Holden Beach! Nest 45 was rediscovered one morning when an egg shell brought to the top of the nest by a crab was noted by the morning rider. Patrol members dug down about a foot and found the nest plate that was placed the day the nest was laid. The nest...read more of this article.

Welcome Surprises

posted: August 24, 2020, 1:48 PM

Last week, two nests thought lost to the effects of Hurricane Isaias boiled during the over night hours as hatchling tracks were found by the morning ATV rider! When inventoried, 6 additional hatchlings were found in each nest and released to begin their journey out to the Gulf Stream. Sadly, a number of unhatched eggs were found as well, but it’s great news that some of babies survived! Still no new nests since the Hurricane.......read more of this article.

Hatchling News

posted: August 15, 2020, 7:25 PM

Hatchlings were seen on the beach this past week! Nest 25 boiled Tuesday evening with 25 hatchlings and an additional 2 were found when the nest was inventoried Friday evening. Sadly, 100 unpatched eggs were also found. And, nest 35 which was thought lost after Hurricane Isaias, hatched sometime Friday night; the stranding team found tracks and one hatchling. The nest will be monitored for additional hatching. No new nests have been found since the...read more of this article.

Post Isaias Assessment

posted: August 7, 2020, 9:40 AM

Prior to the storm there were 45 unhatched nests on Holden Beach. Sadly, only 3 remain after Hurricane Isaias came through Monday into Tuesday. Turtle patrol members will monitor these nests with the hope of seeing hatchlings later in the season. And, we will continue to look for signs of new turtle nests each morning. ...read more of this article.

Busy Friday Night

posted: August 5, 2020, 11:33 AM

Five nests boiled Friday night (7/31/20) and 76 hatchlings were released during 2 nest closings. Because of the impending storm, Isaias, nests that are currently due to be collared (prepared for hatching) will be delayed until after the storm. Once conditions are safe, all of the nests will be evaluated and repaired if necessary. The main threat to the nests is water: typically, the nests can tolerate 1-2 over washes but ponding/ standing water can...read more of this article.

Lots of Hatching Activity

posted: July 26, 2020, 8:46 PM

After what seemed to be a slow start to the hatching season, there’s suddenly lots of activity on Holden Beach. Four nests boiled (hatched) this week and several others have depressions indicating hatching under the sand. The warmer temperatures likely contributed to the recent hatchings and with the forecast calling for continued highs in the upper 80’s to low 90’s we should see more this week!...read more of this article.

Nest #1 Hatched overnight

posted: July 18, 2020, 12:57 PM

No real details...but the morning rider today reported there were lots of little flipper prints out of nest #1. It hatched overnight on it's own. It appears many hatchlings got safely into the water on their own. Yeah. The hatching season has started. Not only is this the first nest to hatch on our beach...it's the first in the state! Q: How do Turtle Patrol members know that a nest is going to hatch? A:...read more of this article.

Midnight Walk on Holden Beach

posted: July 10, 2020, 10:51 AM

Last Sunday our stranding team was called out about midnight for a momma on the beach. They took this spectacular photo....by moonlight. Please remember if you see a turtle on the beach to call the stranding team at 910 754 0766. Also, please do not shine a flashlight or take flash photos of the mother turtle—this may frighten her and cause her to leave the beach without laying her eggs. As of this morning there...read more of this article.

Happy 4th of July

posted: July 4, 2020, 12:27 PM

Our morning rider today found two "false crawls" on this holiday morning. A false crawl is when a mother turtle comes onto the beach but does not dig a nest or deposit eggs. The rider reports seeing a mother heading back into the water at sunrise, it appears she was frightened by people and dogs on the beach and did not dig a nest. Hopefully she'll come back tonight --she may possibly go to another...read more of this article.

Finding Nests on the Beach

posted: July 2, 2020, 10:20 AM

Beginning in early May a volunteer rides the ocean front beach on Holden Beach every morning looking for signs that the mother turtle has laid eggs. When nests are identified, they are covered with a plastic netting to keep crabs, fox, raccoon and other critters out of the nest. Sometimes if tracks or evidence of animals are seen at a nest an additional metal “cage” is placed over the plastic netting. The nests are then...read more of this article.

Frequently Asked Questions

posted: June 25, 2020, 12:14 PM

How much do you know about the sea turtles that nest on Holden Beach? Q: Do momma turtles come ashore and nest more when it’s a full moon? A: The cycle of the moon has nothing to do with the momma turtles coming ashore. A female turtle can lay several nests each season. The DNA study shows that she will lay a nest every 12 to 13 days, so it depends upon when she lays...read more of this article.

Turtle Nests on the Beach

posted: June 18, 2020, 4:40 PM

Every morning starting in early May a volunteer rides an ATV down the length of Holden Beach looking for momma turtle tracks. These tracks (called a crawl) show that a momma turtle has come out of the ocean. Sometimes the tracks are washed away by the tides and they are difficult to find. Sometimes a momma turtle comes ashore but does not dig a nest (called a false crawl). Sometimes the momma turtle hides the...read more of this article.

Momma Turtles

posted: June 11, 2020, 10:46 AM

For many years we all believed that the momma turtles came back to the same beach on which they were born to lay their eggs. We now know that they come back to an “area” but not always the exact beach. This “area” can be very large up to 300 miles wide area. For the past several years the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol has been part of a DNA study at the University of Georgia....read more of this article.

Turtle Rescued

posted: June 10, 2020, 1:10 PM

The HBTP Stranding Team was called out last Thursday June 4 for a turtle that seemed to be floundering in the water on the east end of the island. This turtle ---that they've named SPOCK ---was taken to the Karen Beasley Turtle Hospital near Topsail Island. Reports are that SPOCK has a long road ahead of him. He tends to be a picky eater, likes filleted mackerel..but he did eat over the weekend and they...read more of this article.

Turtle Talk and Children's Turtle Time during COVID-10

posted: June 3, 2020, 11:20 AM

Our weekly educational programs --Turtle Talk ---which are usually held each Wednesday evening throughout the summer are NOT going to happen....at least not until further notice. Right now according the the Phase 2 COVID-19 recommendations there should not be any indoor group meetings of more than 10 people. Also, the Town Hall Assembly Room is not open and available for any meetings. As we move into Phase 3 later this summer we MAY be able...read more of this article.

More turtle nests

posted: May 21, 2020, 11:41 AM

As of this morning (Thursday May 21) we have four sea turtle nests on Holden Beach. All of these have been located, marked and left where the mother turtle laid them---natural nests. We also have had three "false crawls". A false crawl is when the mother comes up on the beach but doesn't lay a nest. It's impossible to know the exact reason why she does this, but it is possible the mother was startled...read more of this article.

Two nests!

posted: May 14, 2020, 11:19 AM

The second sea turtle nest was found on Holden on Wednesday May 13! The morning team found the eggs, but the momma had laid them in a good spot, so they were covered with a grate and marked. This is what we call a "natural nest". We don't know how many eggs. The HB Turtle Patrol thanks everyone on the beach for their consideration and help. We are wearing masks on the beach. We ask...read more of this article.

It’s officially sea turtle season on Holden Beach!

posted: May 11, 2020, 10:21 AM

The mommas are here! The first turtle nest was laid on our beach last night! Our volunteer morning rider found a mother turtle “crawl” and a small team of Holden Beach Turtle Patrol members found the eggs! Last year the first nest was laid on May 9 which was the earliest ever recorded. It will take 55-60 days for these eggs to incubate---we anticipate the first baby turtles on the beach in early July. Please...read more of this article.

It's Turtle Season on Holden Beach!

posted: May 1, 2020, 11:44 AM

May 1st marks the beginning of turtle season here on our beach. The water is still a little cold for momma turtles here, but Georgia has reported three loggerhead turtle nests already.. We are usually ten days to two weeks behind them. But riders will be out every morning looking for tracks in the sand. Look at the photo section of this website, there is a listing of the History of First Nests and you...read more of this article.

2020 T-Shirts now available by mail!

posted: April 23, 2020, 2:14 PM

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. The theme of this year's shirt is A Sea Turtle Symbolizes Patience, Determination and Serenity. The large turtle is on the back with a smaller turtle and the date on the front. FAQ: Brand name of shirt is Gildan, they are 100% cotton, green is the ONLY color, no v-necks....read more of this article.

Turtle Season Has Begun!

posted: March 15, 2020, 2:28 PM

The 2020 Turtle Season has begun....not on Holden Beach....but The Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program in Florida has announced that they've had their sixth nest of the season so far. #seaturtleseason2020 #nestsonnestsonnests @ Deerfield Beach, Florida Leatherback turtles arrive early in Florida. Last year they only had one nest at this time. Our turtle season in Holden Beach starts in May. Early morning volunteers will begin riding looking for momma turtle crawls on our...read more of this article.

Annual Meeting March 28

posted: March 12, 2020, 3:15 PM

The HBTP annual meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 at 10am at the Holden Beach Town Hall. This marks the beginning of a new turtle season. At this meeting new officers will be elected. Last year's trainees will be officially voted into membership. If you're interested in becoming a turtle patrol member and serving as a trainee during the summer of 2020....do not wait till this meeting. Contact our program coordinator, Pat Cusak as...read more of this article.

End of Season

posted: September 28, 2019, 4:50 PM

With the closing of nest #103 earlier this week, the sea turtle season on Holden Beach is officially over. The good news....this was a record year for the number of nests on our beach. We ended with a total of 105 nests, 11964 eggs and 8107 hatchlings into the water. The bad news....the new moon “Black Tide” in July, the new moon “King Tide” in August, followed closely by Hurricane Dorian resulted in the loss...read more of this article.

Difficult couple of weeks

posted: September 21, 2019, 2:51 PM

Since the hurricane it has been moments of lost and found. Lost again. Hope and sadness for Turtle Patrol members. We originally thought we had only lost 4 nests during the hurricane. Teams were out on the beach with GPS and shovels looking for nests and uncovering several feet of sand from them. Unfortunately most of the nests left on the beach have not been successful. High tides contributed to the loss of many of...read more of this article.

Good news!

posted: September 13, 2019, 11:27 AM

Last night there was a beautiful sunset. Photos shared by volunteers watching nests. Good news. One of the nests lost in the hurricane was found by a group of mighty members with shovels! This was nest #104 and the last nest laid this summer on our beach. It has been washed over by high tides...but the dedicated volunteers will continue to watch this as it's due date approaches. ...read more of this article.

We Dig Turtles

posted: September 9, 2019, 9:18 AM

Turtle Patrol members have been back in the beach! Saturday our coordinator rode the atv early morning and reported that several nests and equipment were completely GONE after hurricane Dorian passed our shore. He also reported that lots of sand had been deposited on most of the remaining nests. Yesterday (Sunday) was a day for more searching and digging. A "hurricane stake" from one of the "lost" nests was found...great news! Vacationers have reported finding...read more of this article.

Waiting for Hurricane Dorian

posted: September 4, 2019, 7:12 AM

Holden Beach is under a mandatory evacuation. Turtle Patrol volunteers will not be on the beach until after the storm has passed and it is considered safe to return to the island. As of Monday (September 2) night we had 14 nests left on the beach. There are also three nests that are questionable after the last two new moon tides. When allowed back on the beach, volunteers will assess these remaining nests. We do...read more of this article.

Red Lights

posted: August 21, 2019, 2:04 PM

It takes everyone working together to keep Holden Beach a safe place for our sea turtles . Kudos to the folks from Winding River Plantation! They have installed red turtle friendly lights on their beach house. Sea turtles can get misdirected when buildings along the ocean have bright white lights. The turtles head to the lights and into the dunes and sometimes onto the street instead of into the ocean. Amber lights can also be...read more of this article.

Is a nest ready to hatch?

posted: August 13, 2019, 5:32 PM

Want to know how to spot a nest that might be ready to hatch? Look for one that has a black landscape collar on it. The turtle patrol “collars” nests 50 days after the momma laid the eggs. This prepares the nest to hatch. The black collar helps keep the babies from heading toward the dunes, the houses and the road. The collar also “funnels” the babies in the direction of the ocean. A team...read more of this article.

Sad week!

posted: August 6, 2019, 3:38 PM

Last week was a sad time for turtles and Turtle Patrol members on the beach. We had extremely high tides that flooded the nests. The turtle eggs can take a little water while in the nest, like an occasional high tide that comes in and then leaves, but when water flows into nests and just sits there the eggs are damaged. We lost at least five nests last week to wash over. Many of these...read more of this article.

Nest 101 Identified

posted: July 31, 2019, 10:11 AM

Yes, 101 turtle nests have now been found on Holden Beach this year! The nesting pattern has definitely slowed but we continue to find a rare wild nest and several false crawls have been converted to nests. A wild nest is one in which the Patrol has no idea of its existence until hatchlings are seen or, as has happened a few times this year, a fox digs into the nest. A false crawl is...read more of this article.

Another Turtle Tuesday

posted: July 23, 2019, 9:17 AM

Three more new nests on another "Turtle Tuesday"! The nesting pattern has definitely slowed over the past two weeks, but this Tuesday morning followed the pattern established early in the season as the day of the week with the most crawls and nests. And, the morning ATV rider was lucky enough to see one of the mothers nesitng as the sun rose on the beach. In addition to new nests being laid, Turtle Patrol members...read more of this article.

Hatching has Begun

posted: July 16, 2019, 11:04 AM

It's the time of year we've all been waiting for - baby turtles on Holden Beach! Two nests hatched or "boiled" as we call it on Saturday night and since then another five nests have boiled. Most of the nests have boiled without displaying a depression or the sign that the babies are coming out of their shells under the sand. A couple, though, have depressions like the one shown here. And, mother turtles are...read more of this article.

New Record Number of Nests

posted: July 10, 2019, 10:43 AM

Today, nests 74 and 75 were found on Holden Beach breaking the previous record of 73! While the number of new nests has tapered off in the past 7-10 days, there are still several weeks of nesting ahead. This same nesting pattern has been seen throughout the Brunswick Islands as well as the entire east coast. This will surely be a season for the record books! We're still waiting for the first hatchlings on Holden...read more of this article.

2019 T-shirts

posted: July 3, 2019, 5:22 PM

People have been asking about the 2019 T-shirts. They are light blue with a baby turtle on the back coming out of an egg. The theme is "The Ocean is Calling." The front has the HBTP logo. They can be purchased at Turtle Talk each week, Children's Turtle Talk and at the Lighthouse Gift shop on the causeway. Shirts and hats are also available by mail...see page one (lower left hand corner) of this website...read more of this article.

Tuesday Update

posted: July 2, 2019, 10:20 AM

We are up to a record setting 67 nests and 76 false crawls as of this morning. Sunday and yesterday were busy days for the momma turtles and the turtle patrol. Sunday evening about 6 p.m. vacationers called our stranding phone that there was a momma turtle on the beach laying eggs. What a wonderful treat from them to watch. This was nest #65 for the season. Vacationers placed 3 other calls sighting mommas overnight...but...read more of this article.

Obstacle Course for Turtles!

posted: June 25, 2019, 6:42 PM

Please remove your items and fill in any holes you've dug during the day when you leave the beach each evening. Last week our momma turtles had a difficult time maneuvering around things on the beach, sand castles and holes. One mother had to lay her nest in the middle of a volleyball court. Another tired momma had to dig her way though a deep hole on the way back to the ocean after laying...read more of this article.

TSUNAMI TUESDAY

posted: June 18, 2019, 4:05 PM

It's Tuesday and once again the turtles didn't disappoint! For the 5th week in a row we've had over 5 turtle crawls or nests on the beach! Today the morning rider had five nests-- 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52. Three of these nests were covered and left where the mother turtle laid them. The 119 eggs in nest #49 were moved as were the 158 eggs in nest #50 which was moved further back...read more of this article.

Morning Excitement!

posted: June 13, 2019, 1:14 PM

Tuesday morning June 11 there were some excited people on the beach (including our morning rider). About 6 a.m vacationers from Lovingston, Virginia spotted a momma turtle on the beach. They were able to watch her dig her nest, lay eggs, cover them and then crawl back into the water. Seeing this is daylight (and being able to take photos) is a very rare opportunity! The momma found a great spot and Turtle Patrol members...read more of this article.

Another wild Tuesday!

posted: June 11, 2019, 10:44 AM

For the 4th week in a row we've had numerous turtles and nests on the beach on Tuesday morning! This week there were 4 new nests. One nest with 149 eggs was moved and the other three covered and left in place. There were also two false crawls this morning. Another Tumultuous Turtle Tuesday! This was after a reasonably "quiet" weekend. One new nest on Saturday morning. No nests on Sunday. Monday we had two...read more of this article.

Tumultuous Turtle Tuesday.

posted: June 4, 2019, 7:53 PM

Another busy Turtle Tuesday! 3 new nests this morning--#24, 25 and 26. All were covered with a grate and left in-place. This is by-far the most nests on record we've had this early in the season! Also today 7 False Crawls.....teams dug several of these and couldn't find eggs. Two of these false crawls were in the 500 block west...yes there were two different momma turtles "waltzing through the dunes together" ...but no nests were...read more of this article.

Turtle Sanctuary

posted: June 3, 2019, 3:05 PM

Holden Beach is proud to be a Turtle Sanctuary. It takes everyone's cooperation to make our beach a safe place for the sea turtles. Please remember that you can help by: *Turning all ocean facing lights off at night. Lights can frighten or misdirect the turtles. *Picking up trash on the beach so the turtles won't mistakenly eat it. *Filling in any holes that you did before leaving the beach each day. Turtles can get...read more of this article.

Turtle Tuesday

posted: May 28, 2019, 3:12 PM

It seems the mother turtles are especially busy on Tuesdays at Holden Beach: last Tuesday there were 5 new nests and 1 false crawl while this morning there were 4 false crawls and 1 new nest. Currently we have 18 nests and 15 false crawls. A visitor this morning asked what would make the mother turtle crawl all the way to the dune, dig a body pit but not lay any eggs. It's impossible to...read more of this article.

Nesting Fenzy

posted: May 21, 2019, 12:33 PM

WOW - after an early first nest, the mother turtles having been nesting like crazy on Holden Beach! There were 3 nests found Saturday morning plus an additional FIVE nests this morning bringing our nest count to 11!! Typically, we find our first nest around this time in May but this year's nesting pattern is anything but typical. The nests stretch the entire length of the beach with a couple on the east end and...read more of this article.

FIRST NEST

posted: May 10, 2019, 5:12 PM

The first nest of 2019 on Holden Beach was found by our ATV rider yesterday morning (May 9). Yeah! It was behind the first dune in the 1300 block of Ocean Boulevard West. A volunteer team was called out and the nest was moved because it was so far back behind the dune the hatchlings would have a difficult time getting to the ocean. There were 126 eggs. A team will begin watching this nest...read more of this article.

TWO False Crawls

posted: May 8, 2019, 12:25 PM

We know the mother turtles are out there! The first sea turtle nest of the season in North Carolina was reported on May 4 at Cape Lookout National Seashore on South Core Banks. Oak Island reported that they had a nest this past Monday morning (May 6). Today (May 8) our ATV rider reported two false crawls on Holden Beach. A false crawl is when a mother turtle crawls onto the beach but leaves before...read more of this article.

On their way!

posted: April 26, 2019, 2:32 PM

Both Georgia and South Carolina have had their first loggerhead sea turtle nests of the 2019 nesting season. Our first nest of the season won't be far behind! Officially the nesting season on Holden Beach starts on May 1 when our ATV riders begin their early morning searches for mother turtle "crawls". Please remember that it is important to keep ocean facing lights turned off, this includes carport lights. These lights may attract and confuse...read more of this article.

Congratulations Turtle Patrol Members!

posted: April 15, 2019, 4:36 PM

The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program held their annual meeting this on April 13 at the town hall. Welcomed as full-fledged members were last year's " trainees" who have successfully completed all required activities. New trainees for this year were welcomed. This year's Project and Beach Coordinator will be Pat Cusack with the assistance of John Cifelli, Alice Cusack, Donna McGowan, Curt Bolden and Pete Palermo. Officers for the year are Tony Marwitz, President, Nikki...read more of this article.

2019 T-Shirts ARE HERE!!

posted: March 28, 2019, 6:28 PM

They are in! The 2019 official Holden Beach Turtle Patrol T-shirt is now available. This year's theme is "The Ocean is Calling" and features a baby turtle crawling from an egg on the back and the HBTP logo on the front. Locally they can be purchased at Lighthouse Gifts on the causeway or by mail --- see the left lower corner of the front page of the website for details on mail orders. Short sleeve...read more of this article.

Plans for 2019!

posted: March 20, 2019, 7:42 PM

It's almost turtle time for 2019. The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol's Annual meeting is set for April 13, 10 a.m. at the Holden Beach Town Hall. Officers will be elected and new members welcomed. If you're interested in becoming a Turtle Patrol member don't wait until this meeting. Now is the time to contact our Project Coordinator (see Contact Us link). Dates have also been set for Turtle Talks. They will be each Wednesday evening...read more of this article.

Final Numbers from 2018

posted: March 4, 2019, 3:11 PM

Here is the "official" final report for last summers turtle activities on Holden Beach: Nests: 30 In Situ: 16 (natural nests--left where mother laid them) Relocated: 14 (46.6%) Inventoried: 30 (100%) False Crawls: 25 Estimated Eggs: 3342 Eggs Lost: 30 (0.8%) Hatched Eggs: 2840 Emerged Hatchlings: 2568 Mean Incubation Duration (all): 56.5 days Mean Clutch Count: 108 eggs (Relocated Only) Mean Hatch Success: 85.3% Mean Emergence Success: 76.9% Nest Success: 96.6% Beach Success: 54.5% DNA...read more of this article.

Fellowship Winner

posted: February 12, 2019, 3:14 PM

Congratulations to the 2019 Judith C. Bryan Holden Beach Turtle Watch Fellowship Winner...Morgan Whitmer. This fellowship is given by the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol yearly to a UNCW student studying sea turtles or other marine life. Morgan Whitmer will graduate in the spring of 2020. Her focus is on Maryland Terrapin turtles, their habitat and conservancy. She has wanted to do conservancy since she was a child. She also got to help at a loggerhead...read more of this article.

Thank you Girl Scouts

posted: December 22, 2018, 1:56 PM

Members of this Girl Scout troop from Greensboro visited in October for a special session of Turtle Talk. They generously purchased our annual T shirt for each member AND made a $100 donation! THANK YOU, Girl Scouts! . ...read more of this article.

Balloons are litter!

posted: November 27, 2018, 3:51 PM

If you're thinking of doing a balloon release....please reconsider. Many folks don't think about balloons being litter and possibly hurting wild animals....including the sea turtle. There has been some controversy this football season. One team that has been "called out" about their tradition of releasing balloons during home football games is the University of Nebraska Huskers. Here's a link to the "Huskers" side of the story: https://www.1011now.com/content/news/New-billboard--490980521.html Here's a link to a story on how...read more of this article.

T-Shirts available!

posted: October 18, 2018, 5:44 PM

Yes! There are still some of the 2018 HBTP T-shirts available. Sadly, due to some damage caused by Hurricane Florence, our only retail outlet for the annual shirts--Lighthouse Gifts-- has not been open. Hopefully they will reopen soon. But in the meantime, we have a few options for you to purchase shirts. On Saturday October 27 the HBTP will have a booth at "Festival By the Sea" on Holden Beach (we'll only be there Saturday)....read more of this article.

After the storm

posted: September 29, 2018, 6:09 PM

There is good news after the storm. Usually if we have a hurricane it brings an exciting and abrupt end of the turtle season. When the island was evacuated there were two unhatched nests left. Our Program Coordinator went out after the storm on Wednesday September 22 to check on nests 28 and 29. He was not expecting to not find much, and to his surprise found nest 28 with two hatchlings trying to get...read more of this article.

Hurricane Florence

posted: September 11, 2018, 8:23 PM

Right now there are just two unhatched nests on our beach. This morning’s rider said they were flat and quiet with lots of crab tracks. Earlier this week, nest 27 was completely inundated by the high tide. Team members were called to the beach when bubbles were seen coming from it. They dug into wet, soupy sand that was more liquid than solid. They managed to get 5 hatchlings out and moved the remaining viable...read more of this article.

Six nests left on the beach

posted: September 6, 2018, 5:03 PM

Three nests boiled Sunday night. This is a photo of nest #23 Monday morning. Note all the large canine tracks (foxes? dogs?)along with the little baby turtle tracks inside the collar and on in the trench. Fortunately the fox cage over the nest did keep the eggs from being dug up by this canine. The babies hatched overnight, after the Turtle Patrol left for the evening, and we don’t know if the canine came before,...read more of this article.

Great Photo

posted: August 28, 2018, 12:27 PM

Have you seen this great photo? Shows a turtle nest on Holden Beach by Ken Blevins at the Star News on August 8. You can see more aerial photos that he took of local beaches at: http://www.starnewsonline.com/photogallery/NC/20180809/NEWS/809009995/PH/1 This was the closing of nest #8. It was in the 1000 block of Ocean Blvd. West. ...read more of this article.

11 nests to go!

posted: August 27, 2018, 11:53 AM

Photos from nest #14 closing last night. This nest boiled with 112 hatchlings on Thursday evening. The team closed it last night finding 120 empty egg shells and two non-fertile eggs. Sadly for the small crowd watching, there were no babies! We consider this a successful nest, they got out on their own and a great hatch rate. Later last evening, in bright moonlight, nest #17 boiled with 69 babies. ...read more of this article.

Correction and quick update!

posted: August 24, 2018, 11:19 AM

We don't "officially" have 31 nests. The actual nest and empty shells from the "wild nest" last Thursday was never found. So, we can't count it as a nest (even though we know it was there....somewhere!) Another busy week on the beach. Nest 15 closed Wednesday night. Nest 14 had a fabulous moonlit boil last evening with 112 hatchlings into the water and Nest # 18 closes tonight. It seems like the number of hatchilings...read more of this article.

More surprises!

posted: August 20, 2018, 1:27 PM

This has been a week of surprises for the Turtle Patrol. It’s been more than two week since we found the last momma turtle turtle tracks on Holden Beach, so sadly the HBTP has declared the nesting season over for this year. After the "wild nest" # 30 early last week....the surprises continued. On Thursday our stranding team received a call around 7:10 AM about hatchlings on the beach. These hatchlings may have come from...read more of this article.

Wild Nest #30

posted: August 14, 2018, 1:53 PM

You may note from our statistics that we now have 30 nests. How'd we get 30 without finding new momma tracks on the beach? It's called a WILD nest. As the team was cleaning up from closing nest #12 last night, a young vacationer came running up shouting there were hatchlings "all over the beach" about 200 yards west of nest 12. The team found lots of tracks and about 35-40 hatchlings were rounded up...read more of this article.

End of nesting? Possibly

posted: August 13, 2018, 3:46 PM

It appears that the nesting season is over on Holden Beach. The last time a new momma turtle laid eggs on our beach was July 22 (nest # 29). Then there were tracks and a false crawl on August 1. The policy is to wait two weeks from the last sighting of a momma (nest or crawl) before we officially declare the nesting season over. We might have new nests in the next couple of...read more of this article.

Another busy week on the Beach

posted: August 5, 2018, 10:59 PM

It was another busy week for the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol! Nests 4 and 6 closed on Monday night, nest 8 closed on Tuesday night and nests 5 and 7 closed on Sunday night, August 5. Two hatchlings were found in nest 7 and 1 in nest 5 (pictured here). The first 8 of our 29 nests are now closed but there are still 21 more yet to go! Nests 9-12 are collared and nest...read more of this article.

Busy Night on the Beach

posted: July 28, 2018, 12:19 PM

There was quite a bit of action on the beach Friday night! Nest 3 was closed and inventoried with 2 hatchlings being released to the ocean. Nest 4 boiled on day 57 with 64 hatchlings and nest 6 boiled on day 54 with 61 hatchlings heading to the ocean. Nests 5, 7 and 8 are "collared" with the adoption teams ready and waiting for hatching at those nests. Although there hasn't been a new nest...read more of this article.

Nesting and Hatching Continue

posted: July 22, 2018, 10:01 PM

Last Wendesday evening a mother turtle was seen emerging from the ocean and the folks on the beach got to see her dig her nest and lay her eggs at what became nest 27. Since then we've had 2 more new nests on the beach so the mother turtles are still finding their way to Holden Beach! Nest 2 boiled Friday night with 40 hatchlings making their way to the ocean. Nests 3-5 are now...read more of this article.

First Boil of the Season

posted: July 13, 2018, 4:41 PM

Nest 1 boiled Wednesday evening on day 52 with 52 hatchlings! A 5 inch depression was noted Wednesday morning so the adoption team was at the ready that evening. The depression is a drop of the sand in the center of the nest signaling hatching beneath the sand. The team witnessed the boil and captured pictures of the first hatchling emerging from the sand as well as the entire boil. They used the "counting cage"...read more of this article.

Spectacular Sight Saturday Morning!

posted: July 9, 2018, 8:55 PM

Just after 5am on Saturday morning, our ATV rider came upon one set of turtle tracks - tracks heading away from the water but no tracks going back out. So, he followed the tracks away from the surf and came upon the mother turtle facing towards the houses which was a bit surprising given that one of the houses had three big lights on. The rider watched the turtle drop her eggs and then...read more of this article.

Half way through the nesting season

posted: July 2, 2018, 7:01 PM

**REMINDER: No Children's Turtle Time this Wednesday, July 4. Turtle Talk, however, will take place on July 4 at 7Pm at the Town Hall** Following a period of 9 days without a new nest, we had 7 nests in just 5 days last week bringing our current nest count to 20! Given that we're half way through the nesting period it appears that our final number of nests this year won't be as high as...read more of this article.

Another new nest

posted: June 26, 2018, 10:00 PM

Nest 14 was located early Tuesday morning. The mother turtle crawled up beyond the high tide line and laid her eggs in an ideal location so the team left the nest in place. ...read more of this article.

Nine Nests and Counting

posted: June 11, 2018, 9:53 PM

Since the first nest was laid on 5/20/18, there have been an additional 8 nests which brings the total number of nests on Holden Beach to 9. The mother turtles will continue to nest through June and July and possibly into early August so it's always good to remember the ways you can help with the nesting process: fill in all holes and remove chairs and canopies at the end of the day; use a...read more of this article.

Nest #2

posted: May 29, 2018, 2:02 PM

Members of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol located the second Loggerhead nest of the season this morning. The mother turtle crawled right up to the fencing on the dunes and deposited 135 eggs; because the nest was below the high tide line, the eggs were excavated and moved several feet back (towards the street) where the nest should remain dry. In 50 days, a team of patrol members will begin watching the nest on a...read more of this article.

First Nest on Holden Beach!

posted: May 20, 2018, 12:43 PM

We've had our first nest on Holden Beach! Our morning riders found tracks for the first nest of the season today. It was not moved, but marked in place. There was also a false crawl! It is interesting to note that on four of the last seven years (2013, 2014, 2015 and this year) our first nest was laid on May 20. Isn't nature amazing? The season is upon us! ...read more of this article.

The Turtle Season has started!

posted: May 1, 2018, 12:35 PM

It’s official....the turtle season has started on Holden Beach! Please remember to turn ocean facing lights out from May 1 through October. Momma turtles should start laying their eggs on our beach this month. Lights may scare and/or misdirect the momma turtles. You’ll be seeing our ATV riders out looking for tracks of the mother turtle each morning. Our first rider started this morning---no momma’s yet....but we’ll keep watching each day. Last year the first...read more of this article.

2018 Turtle Patrol Shirts are Here

posted: April 13, 2018, 3:54 PM

Just revealed....the 2018 Turtle Patrol T-shirts. This year's shirt celebrates 30 years of helping turtles on Holden Beach. Shirts are now stocked at the Lighthouse Gifts on the Holden Beach causeway. Shirts can also be purchased by mail...see the front page of our website for mail order instructions. The shirt is maroon with a large turtle on the back and the HBTP logo on the front. Shirts are available in children/youth sizes as well as...read more of this article.

Almost Turtle Time at Holden Beach

posted: March 9, 2018, 7:37 AM

Sea Turtle season has started in Broward County Florida. The folks at Fort Lauderdale Beach announced their first nest of the season yesterday. It was a Leatherback turtle! Leatherbacks are usually the "early nesters" (March through July) on that beach. That's exciting for them. Loggerheads and Green turtles are more common. Our season in Holden Beach doesn't usually start until mid to late May. Leatherback turtles are not common on our beach. But our Turtle...read more of this article.

Final thoughts....and numbers

posted: October 23, 2017, 10:19 PM

The 2017 turtle season on Holden Beach officially ended on Monday, October 16 when nest 46 was inventoried and 8 hatchlings made the march to the ocean. Final numbers for the season include: 50 nests 63 false crawls 5123 eggs 4230 hatchlings to the ocean Unfortunately, 8 nests this season had no hatched eggs. Five nests at the end of the season sustained repeated over washes from extremely high tides which may explain the lack...read more of this article.

What happened to 47?

posted: October 8, 2017, 11:39 AM

Earlier this week we reported that nest #46 was the last one on the beach. The question came up....what happened to #47...recorded as the last nest laid on Holden Beach this year? The momma turtle laid that an unknown number of eggs on August 7. This was the last sign of a mother turtle and new nest this year. Unfortunately this nest along with four other (39, 40, 42 and 44) were overwashed by high...read more of this article.

And then there was one….

posted: October 6, 2017, 9:25 AM

There just one remaining active turtle nest on Holden Beach. The last one for this year! :( Nest 45 closed last night when 12 hatchlings walked the trench to the delight of the wonderful crowd and the team. Our last nest is #46. It was laid on August 6. That makes this 61 days, so we should be expecting some "action" anytime. As the days and evenings get colder it takes longer for these later...read more of this article.

Coming down the home stretch

posted: September 30, 2017, 9:35 AM

Teams have set up the collar and are watching our last two nests of the season. One has a crack around the center which could signal upcoming hatching. The other doesn't have any sign yet of activity. Nests laid later in the season often take longer in the incubation range of 50-80 days to hatch so these nests laid in early August may not hatch for awhile!...read more of this article.

Lots of high water

posted: September 12, 2017, 8:48 PM

While Southeastern North Carolina, Brunswick County and Holden Beach were very fortunate to not have been in the immediate path of Hurricane Irma, we are experiencing high water. Sadly all nine of the remaining turtle nests on the beach have been over washed. A tourist called to report eggs on the beach. Trying to find where the eggs came from is almost impossible with all the tidal pools. Sand is building up on nests 44,45,...read more of this article.

We have a winner!

posted: September 6, 2017, 2:12 PM

Congratulations to Lacey W. from the Charlotte area the winner of turtle basket! Thanks to HBTP member Eileen Markum for handmaking the basket and conducting the raffle! Thank you also to everyone who purchased a ticket. We made over $900 with this fund raising activity. It is a beautiful basket!...read more of this article.

September will be a busy moth

posted: September 3, 2017, 9:39 PM

Even though the summer season is officially ending, there's still quite a bit of turtle activity on the beach. Eight nests are "collared" which means they were laid 50 or more days ago and are in the hatching "window" and most of them have depressions (sign of active hatching under the sand). So, there should be a lot of hatchlings born this week! And don't worry if you aren't visiting Holden Beach until later...read more of this article.

Last Turtle Talk this week

posted: August 27, 2017, 1:06 PM

This past week was a busy time for Turtle Patrol members. Babies in the water morning, noon and night. Vacationers found babies heading to the beach early Wednesday morning on nest #28. Due to the warmer weather later in the season, nests this week hatched between days 50 and 56 of incubation. Three nests were closed/inventoried on Friday night and three more were closed/inventoried on Saturday night. This leaves only 17 nests on the beach....read more of this article.

Nesting Over

posted: August 21, 2017, 1:01 PM

It has been two weeks since any sign of a mother turtle on Holden Beach. This means we consider the “nesting” part of the sea turtle season over. The last nest was laid on August 7. With incubation of 50-60 days we anticipate we’ll be watching nests into early October. This is nest #47. The current number of nests on the beach is now holding at 50. You may wonder how we can get to...read more of this article.

Is it still nesting season?

posted: August 14, 2017, 5:06 PM

Our last momma turtle was seen on the beach last Monday August 7.....that doesn't necessarily mean the nesting season is over. We wait two weeks without a nest or a false crawl to declare it over. You never know! With 47 nests so far...we're inching toward reaching 52---that's the number of nests we had last year. Nest #13 finally hatched. The team has been watching this nest on the east end of the island for...read more of this article.

Beach Babies

posted: August 3, 2017, 4:45 PM

Visitors called our stranding team at 3 a.m. this morning. The team found nest #45! It was moved into a safer location. Other vacationers called the nest team late last night when they saw nest #16 hatching. A turtle hunt ensued. (It was a busy night for turtle people!) The night before another group of beach walkers saw an unattended nest boiling and called the stranding team and alerted Turtle Patrol members at a near-by...read more of this article.

Constantly Changing!

posted: August 1, 2017, 1:46 PM

Well, another eventful week for the Turtle Patrol. The counts of nests, false crawls, eggs and hatchlings is constantly changing. We are up to 44 nests and 66 (minus 2) false crawls. Hmm you ask, how can we be minus 2 false crawls. Well 2 of our false crawls turned out to be nests. Our riders found turtle tracks in the morning where we didn’t know there were nests. You may ask how can this...read more of this article.

Turtles are are in motion!

posted: July 24, 2017, 10:44 AM

Nests #1, #2 and #4 have closed out. Nest #3 team is looking for something exciting to happen soon. Nest #6 boiled overnight Saturday without anyone being there. The morning rider found lots of little tracks in the sand. We had a gap of 8 days without a new nest being laid, but nest #40 was laid on overnight Saturday. The team moved 54 eggs. This is a smaller number of eggs than average...read more of this article.

We have babies!

posted: July 17, 2017, 7:52 AM

The day we've all been waiting for is here! Saturday (July 17) night after midnight (really Sunday morning) nest #2 boiled and 21 hatchlings went into the ocean. This is the first nest to hatch on our beach this summer. It was laid on May 18 and this was day 58 of incubation. We're still waiting for nest #1 to boil. It was laid on May 16--but it always seems to take more time for...read more of this article.

Busy Time of Year

posted: July 11, 2017, 7:28 PM

Nesting, Hatching and Turtle TIme: We currently have 35 nests on the beach along with 2267 known eggs (we say known eggs because we haven’t moved all the nests this year, so we haven’t counted all the eggs.) We’ve also had 51 False Crawls—where mother turtles have come onto the beach but not laid the eggs. There are still several weeks left in the nesting season so these numbers will go up! Our first nests...read more of this article.

Nest Update

posted: July 4, 2017, 12:48 PM

As of this morning Holden Beach has 28 turtle nests! One new nest ( #28) was laid last night and the team moved 132 eggs this morning. The stranding team had an interesting night this past Saturday. They received a call from a vacationer that found what they thought were turtle egg shells on the beach. (Thank you to this caller!) It’s too early for one of our nests to hatch and we didn’t...read more of this article.

Another False Crawl

posted: June 26, 2017, 6:16 PM

"Did a truck drive into the ocean?” ---this was one of the questions a beach walker asked our ATV rider this morning. No that’s not a truck, that’s what we call a “turtle crawl”. These are the tracks a mother turtle leaves in the sand when she comes a shore. They can be very large and resemble the tracks made by a truck or an ATV. Some of the mother turtles can weigh over 300...read more of this article.

Wasn't a False Crawl!

posted: June 11, 2017, 10:13 AM

The early morning rider today spotted a mother's turtle's crawl...but the sand area didn't look quite right. It might be a false crawl. But a team was called to search for eggs. For a while it didn't appear there would be any eggs...but the suddenly there was just one. Then after a little more digging more appeared and then more. In the end the team moved 153 eggs to a safer location further back on...read more of this article.

Turtle Patrol on the News

posted: June 7, 2017, 2:43 PM

WECT News Team was on Holden Beach yesterday morning and visited with turtle patrol coordinator Pat Cusack! It was great that a mother turtle cooperated and there was a nest and eggs to show. Great work to the team who moved the eggs to a safer location. Click on the link to WECT News channel 6 in Wilmington NC ...... to see what was on the news last night! ...read more of this article.

Lots of False Crawls

posted: June 5, 2017, 1:47 PM

The mother turtles are visiting our beach! As of this morning we have 11 nests on Holden Beach. We've also had 30 FALSE CRAWLS. This is when the mother turtle comes ashore and looks for a place to lay her eggs....but goes back into the ocean without doing so. Will she come back? We hope. Perhaps she'll go to another beach the next night. We really hope she won't "drop" the eggs in the ocean....read more of this article.

Memorial Day update

posted: May 29, 2017, 6:12 PM

Memorial Day signals the start of the summer season on Holden Beach and we already have 7 turtle nests and 8 false crawls. A false crawl is when the mother turtle comes ashore but doesn't lay her eggs. Reasons for false crawls inlcude the mother turtle being startled by people or lights during the nesting process, the mother running into furniture, umbrellas or cabanas left on the beach overnight or perahps she just doesn't like...read more of this article.

First nest of the season!

posted: May 16, 2017, 4:49 PM

The first turtle nest of the season was found this morning! The mother laid the nest in a safe location so the nest did not have to be excavated; as a result the number of eggs is not known. The picture is of the team who located the eggs for nest number one!...read more of this article.

Looking for the first nest of the season

posted: May 4, 2017, 1:09 PM

The 2017 turtle season is officially underway! Members of the patrol started riding the beach every morning on May 1 and will do so through October looking for signs of turtle nests. Typically, we don't have our first nest until about the third week of May but you never know what the mother turtles have in mind for us!...read more of this article.

Our wonderful volunteers!

posted: April 26, 2017, 9:21 PM

Our Turtle Patrol is getting up and moving for this year! Volunteers will be at Days at the Docks this weekend with information about the HBTP, Turtle Talk and how you can help the turtles. We'll also have this year's T-shirt available to purchase. Our morning riders will begin looking for mother turtle tracks on May 1. Last year our first turtle nest was found on May 26...wonder when she will come this year. Announcing...read more of this article.

Facts about our turtles

posted: April 8, 2017, 6:04 AM

Last year (2016) there was a total of 1650 turtle nests in North Carolina (52 of them on our beach). There were 1622 loggerhead sea turtle nests (this is a state record), 34 green turtle nests and 4 Kemps Ridley nests. With over 126200 hatchlings. Since 2010 we have been part of a special DNA study from the University of Georgia that is researching the turtles in the northern recovery zone (SC, NC and GA)....read more of this article.

2017 Shirts are here!

posted: March 26, 2017, 9:13 AM

The limited edition 2017 Holden Beach Turtle Patrol T-Shirts are now available. Be among the first to get one! They can be purchased from our website by mail or at the Lighthouse Gift Store on the causeway in Holden Beach. This year's prices: Short sleeve-- Youth $15 Adults S-XL $17 2X and 3X $20 Long Sleeve-- S-XL $22 2xl and 3XL $25 We have hats this year!--$20 Please include shipping and handling costs. 1 shirt...read more of this article.

2017 Annual Meeting

posted: March 6, 2017, 9:30 AM

The 2017 annual meeting of the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program will be held at the Holden Beach Town Hall meeting room at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 18, 2017. All program members are encouraged to attend. Tony Marwitz, the program's president will preside at this meeting. There will be the general business meeting, a treasury report, election of officers and discussion by our beach coordinator, Pat Cusack. Interested visitors are welcome to attend. Potential...read more of this article.

Special Donation....Thank you!

posted: February 17, 2017, 8:10 AM

“Redmond Ruckus”....Austin, Miller, and Josie’s families have a longtime relationship with Holden Beach, dating back to the 60’s. When these youngsters and their families are here they attend Turtle Talks and enjoy Holden Beach to the maximum. Last summer they were fortunate and excited to have witnessed dozens of sea turtle hatchlings slip out of the sand to their first scent of the water. They watched as these baby sea turtles, their tiny flippers propelling...read more of this article.

Turtle Season is Over

posted: September 14, 2016, 8:28 PM

Our last nest of the season closed tonight with 8 hatchlings found and released to the water. The season wrapped up earlier than previous years because no nests were laid in August. A total of 6250 eggs were laid over 52 nests with 5517 hatchlings released to the ocean resulting in a 88% hatch rate. Thanks to all our supporters for a terrific season! We'll see you in mid to late May 2017 when we...read more of this article.

Final Nest

posted: September 11, 2016, 7:10 PM

It's hard to believe we're down to our last nest! Nest 50 was laid on 7/26/16 and has 90 eggs. The adoption team will begin checking the nest on 9/14, the 50th day after the nest being laid. ...read more of this article.

The Last Few Nests

posted: September 7, 2016, 9:18 PM

Fortunately, it doesn't appear that the high tides and heavy rains generated by Tropical Storm Hermine had a negative impact on the remaining turtle nests. Two nests, #45 and #46, closed on Sunday night with 20 and 16 hatchlings found respectively. In addition, three more nests boiled (hatched) between Monday and Tuesday nights. Great news and a hugh relief for all who love the turtles!...read more of this article.

Hermine's High Water

posted: September 2, 2016, 10:33 AM

Our ATV rider was out early this morning (between 6:30 and 7:30)---between bands of rain from Hermine. While the tide water is higher than usual, all of the nests appeared safe at this time. We have six nests left on the beach. .While this hot weather we've been having has helped the nests hatch earlier than usual, it seems we've had more unhatched eggs this year. Take care everyone during the storm....read more of this article.

Last Turtle Talk

posted: August 31, 2016, 1:38 PM

There has been a lot of baby turtle activity on the beach the past few weeks. 42 of the 52 nests have hatched already. The nests have been hatching “early” and fast---due to the high temperatures we’ve been experiencing. We expect that the season will be over by mid-September this year. Adopters of nests that are currently on the beach have been asked to be on "alert" due to the possibility of Tropical Depression Hermine...read more of this article.

Busy Night on the Beach

posted: August 22, 2016, 8:24 PM

Monday night was quite a busy night on Holden Beach. Two nests were closed out and two were "collared" or set up for hatching. Nest 29 boiled on day 53 wth 94 hatchlings. Additional hatchlings emerged on each of the subsequent three nights and 4 babies were found deep in the nest when it was excavated Monday night. Nest 32 boiled on day 50 with 77 hatchlings. Six additional babies were found at the closeout....read more of this article.

Wild Nest Closed

posted: August 21, 2016, 6:10 PM

Wild nest 52 closed last night. We saw over 90 babies go out from this surprise nest in the beautiful moonlight last Wednesday night. There were no additional live babies found during the excavation. The patrol members did find 6 infertile eggs and 121 egg shells. Prior to Wednesday night this nest was unknown to the turtle patrol, our morning rider missed seeing it. We figure it was laid around the end of June when...read more of this article.

Babies in the moonlight!

posted: August 19, 2016, 11:50 AM

There were lots of baby turtles swimming in the full moon last night and the night before. The news from the beach is that it's been over two weeks since a mother turtle has laid a nest on our beach. This is a sign that the nesting season is over. But you may notice that we've added two new nests...we're up to 52 due to what we call "wild nests". These are nests the Turtle...read more of this article.

Turtles, turtles everywhere

posted: August 7, 2016, 9:17 PM

If you were on Holden Beach any evening during the past week, chances were good you came across baby turtles. Several nests hatched and we thank all of the residents and vacationers who notified the Turtle Patrol when they came across hatchlings on the beach. Following the main hatch, or boil as it's called, many of the nests had additional hatchlings emerge on the subsquent two nights. In addition, several nests were closed out including...read more of this article.

More sand on the beach?

posted: August 5, 2016, 10:24 AM

For those of you who do not know, the Town of Holden Beach is considering adding sand to a large part of the strand. This project is called the Central Reach Project. The additional sand will be placed from 240 O.B. E. to 781 O. B. W. This will be a very expensive project that has several benefits to the Town. However the project also has a huge advantage to the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol....read more of this article.

Busy time on the beach.

posted: July 31, 2016, 2:53 PM

The babies are HATCHING!!!! And not wasting any time! Nest 9 hatched on DAY 50!!! The hot weather is speeding up the incubation time. Turtle Patrol is busy, there were at least 47 members on the beach between 7/25 and today! Look for the "red shirts" on the beach in the early evening. We could still have more mothers and nests laid on the beach--it's not too late for nesting mothers! We need 9 more...read more of this article.

Nest 5 Closeout and Nest 6 Boiled same night!

posted: July 28, 2016, 10:36 PM

What a great feeling when nest 5 was closed Thursday night - 23 baby turtles were found and released to the water. Some of the babies were wedged into the side of the nest so Turtle Patrol members carefully scraped away the sand in order to free them. These little ones might not have been able to emerge from the nest without the Patrol's help. After the Turtle Patrol members left the beach on Thursday...read more of this article.

Nest 1 Closeout

posted: July 28, 2016, 12:31 PM

Ten baby turtles were found when nest 1 was closed out Wednesday night and all of them made a mad dash for the water! Two babies also emerged from nest 5 around 9:20pm. Please remember to turn off all porch lights and close blinds/curtains at night - the baby turtles are drawn to the light and will crawl toward the ocean front houses when the lights are on. Thank you for your support!...read more of this article.

First Babies of the Season

posted: July 26, 2016, 11:17 PM

The past several nights have been very busy with 5 nests hatching! Nest 3 boiled Saturday night shortly after dark with 110 babies and 13 additional hatchlings were found at the close out Tuesday evening. And the mornings continue to be busy, too - nest number 50 was found Tuesday morning. Nesting will continue for the next several weeks. ...read more of this article.

Hatching Season is Upon Us

posted: July 21, 2016, 10:47 PM

It's what we've all been waiting for: baby turtles! Our first nests of the season are now at least 50 days old and have been prepared for hatching. Black plastic landscape material is placed in the form of a "collar" around each nest on day 50 indicating the nest is within the hatching range of 50-80 days. In addition, a trench is dug to help direct the baby turtles to the ocean. A couple of...read more of this article.

Children's Turtle Time

posted: July 20, 2016, 3:52 PM

If you missed it today, there are two more chances to attend Children's Turtle Time. The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol offers a program for younger turtle enthusiasts. The final two “Children’s Turtle Time” for this year will be held Wednesdays July 27 and August 3 from 4-5 p.m. at the Holden Beach Town Hall. This class will feature crafts, stories and activities for children ages 3-6. All children must be accompanied by a parent or...read more of this article.

Turtle Trifecta Time of Year

posted: July 11, 2016, 8:09 PM

Mid July means there are three major atctivites supported by the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol: 1) mother turtles are still actively nesting; 2) Turtle Talk takes place every Wednesday evening at 7pm at the Town Hall and children's Turtle Time takes place at 4pm; and 3) what we've all been waiting for: preparing for hatching season! The first nests of the season will be "collared" (prepared for hatching with a collar made out of landscape...read more of this article.

Lots of Activity

posted: June 26, 2016, 11:43 AM

We've had lots of turtle activity over this weekend....a special turtle, too. Yesterday (Saturday) there were 4 crawls found on the the beach and this morning 7 crawls were found. What was exciting that one yesterday appeared to be a Green Sea Turtle. Teams searched for eggs but unfortunately none were found....false crawl? or maybe the mother just did a great job of hiding them! Over all out of the 11 crawls this weekend ....eggs...read more of this article.

26 Nests and Counting

posted: June 21, 2016, 8:51 PM

There are now 26 Loggerhead turtle nests on Holden Beach with 3137 known eggs and 30 false crawls. We're still in the prime nesting season so more nests are expected! Please remember to remove all beach equipment at the end of the day and fill in all holes so the mother turtles don't get tangled up, stuck in a hole or injured. Just an interesting aside: Last year at this time we had 22 nests....read more of this article.

Special Donation

posted: June 18, 2016, 6:38 AM

The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol has only two ways of raising money....our annual T-shirt sales and donations. We recently got a special donation in the mail from Sam Ernest. There's a wonderful story behind this donation. Sam is a seventh grader in Charlotte, NC. For a Social Studies assignment he had to choose a subject and plan and complete a project. Sam chose Sea Turtles and decided he would hold a fundraiser to raise money...read more of this article.

The turtles were REALLY busy this week!

posted: June 12, 2016, 8:52 PM

Twelve nests were laid over the past 7 days with 4 of those on Friday! We've also had a lot of false crawls (mothers crawl onto the beach but don't lay their eggs) which means the mother turtles have been VERY busy! The mother turtle of nest 8 did a very, very good job of disguising her nest as you can see in the picture below. The Turtle Patrol dug and dug, and then dug...read more of this article.

Lucky Visitors

posted: June 6, 2016, 4:23 PM

Saturday night June 4 was an exciting night on Holden Beach! Visitors walking the beach at dusk were treated to a sight not seen my many--a mother turtle laying her eggs. They called our "turtle emergency" number and members of our stranding team joined them on the beach to watch. While the stranding team was at this first nest (#6) they got a call from another vacationer--there was another mother laying eggs (nest #7). The...read more of this article.

Turtle Release

posted: June 4, 2016, 10:52 AM

One of the goals of the HBTP is to help sick and injured sea turtles found on or near Holden Beach. We have a stranding team that is on duty 24/7. We encourage anyone who sees a sick or injured sea turtle to please call our "turtle emergency" number. Frequently these stranded turtles are taken to the Karen Beasley Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center near Topsail Beach in NC. http://www.seaturtlehospital.org/ The Turtle Hospital offers tours...read more of this article.

Turtle Talk begins this week

posted: May 30, 2016, 1:47 PM

The first Turtle Talk of the season will take place on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at 7:00pm at the Town Hall. Join members of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol to learn more about the turtles that nest on our beach, what you can do to help the turtles, and how you can support the Turtle Patrol. Our annual T shirt will be available for purchase. We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!...read more of this article.

Happy Memorial Day!

posted: May 30, 2016, 1:43 PM

Nest #4 was found this Memorial Day morning with119 eggs. The mother turtle crawled right up to the escarpment (cliff developed as the result of erosion), but turned and crawled another 10 feet to the west where she laid her eggs. The nest was near an escarpment and below the high tide line so the eggs were moved to location above the high tide line. And, false crawl #9 was also found today. Lots of...read more of this article.

Started with a bang!

posted: May 26, 2016, 7:14 PM

The sea turtle season on Holden Beach has finally started---and in a big way! Our riders have been up early everyday since May 1 looking for crawls made by the mother turtles. They've found only two "false crawls"----mom's coming ashore but not laying eggs---up until today! This morning our rider found four crawls....two were nests and the other two false crawls. Additional Holden Beach Turtle Patrol volunteers were called in to help and the two...read more of this article.

It Won't Be Long Now....

posted: May 10, 2016, 6:50 PM

Both Georgia and South Carolina have had their first turtle nests of the season. And, although our morning ATV riders haven't seen signs of any turtles on Holden Beach, a false crawl (tracks from the mother turtle but no nest) was found this morning on Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune. So, the mother turtles are in the North Carolina waters - it won't be long before we have our first nest!...read more of this article.

Nesting Season is here!

posted: April 28, 2016, 10:50 AM

Remember it is turtle nesting season. The water temperatures at Holden Beach are going up, which hopefully means we’ll see momma turtles on our beach soon. Our riders will be starting their morning patrols early next week looking for marks in the sand (called crawls) left by mother turtles laying their nests. If you live or are renting on Holden Beach, please remember to turn off outside lights that face the beach including carport lights...read more of this article.

Shelves are full!

posted: April 16, 2016, 1:51 PM

The shelves at the Lighthouse Gift Shop on the causeway are stocked full of the 2016 Holden Beach Turtle Patrol's T-shirt! Be among the first to get one! Turtle Patrol members will be at Days at the Dock next Saturday April 23. They will have shirts at their booth. Stop by to visit, get a shirt and learn about how you can help the wonderful sea turtles the nest of Holden Beach. Our ATV riders...read more of this article.

Almost that time again!

posted: March 17, 2016, 6:55 AM

Turtle Patrol members are gearing up for another "turtle season." The 2016 edition of the "official" HBTP shirt is NOW AVAILABLE! (See photos! The design features blue baby turtles on a field of green). The shirts are available for purchase at Lighthouse Gifts on the causeway in Holden Beach or by mail (see first page of this website for details). HBTP members will also be at the upcoming Days at the Docks (Saturday April 23...read more of this article.

Final tally

posted: October 17, 2015, 10:37 AM

We had 5729 eggs laid on the beach 4950 hatchlings out and most to the water. We lost one nest completely to overwashed tides...that brought our hatch rate down to 88%....but that's still great! We will have more information soon from the DNA study--that will be able to tell us how many different mother turtles and how many of them have been to our beach before. Thanks again to all the visitors and locals who...read more of this article.

And then there were none.....

posted: October 1, 2015, 9:33 AM

The sea turtle season on Holden Beach is officially over with the closing of the last two turtle nests. Nests # 51 and #53 boiled earlier this week with 44 and 89 hatchlings. Those baby turtles timed it just right to get off the beach before the possible storm. Good luck turtles...hope to see you back here in 25 years! Thanks to everyone on Holden Beach and all the visitors that we talked with during...read more of this article.

Almost done for the year!

posted: September 19, 2015, 3:10 PM

There is only one nest left to be "collared" --that is nest #53 and it will be done this week. It's due date (day 55) is September 26. All of the other nests on the beach have either boiled, closed or adopted and the teams are watching them each evening. Nest # 44 was collared 12 days ago and there is no sign of turtle activity---our fear is that it was washed over by high...read more of this article.

Winding Down for the Season!

posted: September 9, 2015, 11:52 AM

We have had a busy season with 53 nests, but it’s starting to wind down now. We have 12 nests left, and they are still going fast which has been good for everyone. The average first emergence on the beach this year has been 54 days compared to 62 days last year. Eighteen of the nests so far have gone when the teams weren’t there, and many teams never got to see any hatchlings. We...read more of this article.

Footprints in the rain

posted: August 28, 2015, 1:37 PM

It's been raining for the past few days. Last evening the team closed a nest just as it was starting to rain and found one little hatchling. He/she made it into the water---through a couple puddles along the way---before thunder and lightening started. For safety reasons, the HBTP does not stay on the beach during thunderstorms. The baby turtles don't have "rules" like this and they may hatch out of a nest during a rain...read more of this article.

Nesting Season is Over

posted: August 21, 2015, 12:21 PM

It has been over two weeks since the last signs of a mother turtle on Holden Beach. Nest #53 was laid on August 2. There was a false crawl a couple days later. This two week period without a mother turtle sighting usually means the nesting season is over. But this doesn't mean the turtle season is over. Nest # 25 boiled on Wednesday night and several nests were closed the night before. We're about...read more of this article.

Morning Excitement

posted: August 15, 2015, 12:15 PM

People always ask: "do the turtles always hatch at night?" While that is normal, the baby turtles can come anytime they are ready. There was a bit of excitement on this beach about 7:50 this morning. Our rider found nest #21 "boiling". We really don't know how many left the nest! This makes 21 of our 53 nest having boiled so far. Nests 26-30 are scheduled to be "collared" this week. It has been 13...read more of this article.

Nesting slowing in August

posted: August 6, 2015, 2:08 PM

As expected, the number of new nests being laid is tapering off as the we move into August. However, there's still a lot of activity on the beach. Ten of our 53 nests have hatched with a total of 865 known hatchlings to the ocean. Two nests hatched or "boiled" without any witnesses so the number of hatchlings from those nests is unknown. Three nights following the boil, each nest is excavated and inventoried, a...read more of this article.

Can't keep up!

posted: July 29, 2015, 1:48 PM

There is so much turtle activity on the beach we can't keep up with the counts! Last night nest # 7 closed with 16 babies into the ocean (see photos!) Nest # 5 closes tonight. Nest # 8 closes tomorrow. Nest #9 is collared. Nest # 10 will be collared tonight. Nest # 11 was collared last night---earlier than expected--but there is a depression. Nest # 12 collars tomorrow. Momma turtles are still laying eggs....read more of this article.

High Season for Turtles

posted: July 26, 2015, 3:54 PM

The past few days have been very busy for Turtle Patrol members. It's hard to keep up with all the activities. Momma turtles are still laying nests that we find in the morning and baby turtles are hatching in the evenings. Wednesday was a very busy day for the turtles and the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol. Early in the morning, 3 new nests were identified and moved to locations where the hatchlings have the greatest...read more of this article.

Nests are being "collared"

posted: July 23, 2015, 7:55 AM

If you're on Holden Beach in the evening you'll probably notice more Turtle Patrol members on the beach attending nests. We now have "collared" 8 nests....this means a large black landscape collar has been placed around the nest and a trench has been dug toward the ocean. If you see this it's a "hint" that this nest may hatch in the near future. Collaring is usually done 50 days after the nest was laid. Nest...read more of this article.

First Hatching of the Season

posted: July 19, 2015, 8:44 AM

Nest number 1 boiled last Friday evening (July 17) with 72 hatchlings getting to the ocean. Hatching season has officially begun! This was on day 58 after the mother laid the nest. The first nest of the season usually takes longer than most because it was laid in May when the sand is still a little colder...perhaps the hot summer we have been experiencing hurried this along this year....read more of this article.

Turtle Nest Update as of July 11

posted: July 11, 2015, 8:00 AM

Now up to 35 nests on Holden Beach with 40 false crawls....read more of this article.

Three More Nests !!!

posted: July 5, 2015, 1:01 PM

Guess the fireworks didn't scare all the mother turtles last night. We had 3 nests this morning and one false crawl. All three nests were moved to safer locations. The photos are of nest # 32 that was laid at 611 Ocean Blvd. W. You can see from the photo that the mother crawled ashore and ran into the enbankment. She then turned east and a short way down the beach found a sandy pathway....read more of this article.

Have a Turtle Safe 4th of July

posted: July 4, 2015, 2:21 PM

It has been a busy holiday week for the sea turtles and the turtle patrol on Holden Beach. Saturday July 4 Nest #30 laid in the ICW inlet and 122 egg move and 3 false crawls. The rider reported a very windswept beach. Friday July 3 Nest #29 did not need to be moved. Rider Nan found this one! Nest #13 was overwashed by tide in the night, hopefully this will not affect the eggs....read more of this article.

Nests almost every morning

posted: June 29, 2015, 3:12 PM

Our morning caller reports that we've had nests almost every morning this past week. We're up to 27 nests on Holden Beach this season. We've moved a total of 2866 eggs so far. The nesting season is still only about half over. There is a possibility that mother turtles will lay eggs until late August. It's not unlikely that we'll have about 50 nests this season if they continue like they have been! We're not...read more of this article.

Please fill in holes you dig

posted: June 23, 2015, 9:17 PM

Visitors to our beach are always asking how can they help the turtles. One big thing you can do is fill in any holes you dig during the day before you leave the beach each evening. The major reason to do this is to remove all obstacles from the path of a nesting mother turtle. If a mother turtle comes ashore she may fall into these holes and get trapped. The photo below of a...read more of this article.

Called Them!

posted: June 21, 2015, 9:46 AM

Busy Sunday morning (or Saturday night) for the momma turtles and the turtle patrol! The morning rider found three crawls this morning. Teams dug at 529 OBW and 543 OBW but could not find the eggs. This may have been the same mother, as the flipper width was 31" wide. Unfortunately as the mother turtle dug down she ran into hard clay-like sand that made digging difficult. We think she tried twice and was unsuccessful....read more of this article.

Magic # 19

posted: June 19, 2015, 1:34 PM

We had Loggerhead nest #19 this morning. The team moved 133 eggs bringing the total known eggs for this year to 2047. What makes this nest special is that 19 was the total number of nests the entire season last year.....and we still have at least two more months when mother turtles could lay eggs. Will we meet or beat our record year of 2013 with more than 73 nests? That is yet to be...read more of this article.

Saturday update June 13

posted: June 13, 2015, 12:33 PM

Wow! this was a busy week for the mother turtles and our turtle patrol. We're up to 14 nests! Six new nests this week and one false crawl. Over 150 people attended Turtle Talk on Wednesday. These photos are of nest #14 that was laid at the far west end of the island this morning. Because it was so far out, our program coordinator, Pat, took the cooler with the "precious cargo" (96 eggs) down...read more of this article.

Saturday update June 6

posted: June 6, 2015, 12:39 PM

The first Turtle Talk this year was this past Wednesday night. We had 93 people! If that's an indicator of how the year is going we strongly suggest people wanting to get into Turtle Talk come early (6:30) to get a seat. The team went out yesterday morning and couldn't find any eggs, so determined that it was a "false crawl." This morning we had nest #8. See the "photo album 2015 Nest #8" under...read more of this article.

Turtle Talk This Week!

posted: June 1, 2015, 3:23 PM

The first Turtle Talk of the 2015 season is this week--Wednesday June 3. It will be a the Holden Beach Town Hall @ 7 p.m. See you there! There has been some increased interest about our turtles because the teams have been out several mornings. We're now up to 6 nests and 8 false crawls.False crawl #4 on May 23 the mother turtle came ashore twice, but it doesn't appear she laid her eggs. False...read more of this article.

Nests # 2 and 3

posted: May 25, 2015, 6:56 AM

The mother turtles have been busy this weekend. Nest number two was found yesterday morning near a walkway. The nest was kept in its original location so the number of eggs are unknown. The momma's flipper width was 40". When the morning rider finds a "crawl" a team of volunteers is assembled and they search for the eggs. If it's determined that the eggs are safe from high tides and too much "people traffic", the...read more of this article.

First nest of the season!

posted: May 20, 2015, 12:30 PM

We knew it would be soon! Our morning rider found our first nest of the season today. The flipper length was 41" (that's a big turtle!). The team found and moved 139 eggs. This is right on "schedule" for Holden Beach. The last two years our first nest was on May 20th. (That is pure coincidence ---- or perhaps "turtle magic" -- -that it's been the same date for 3 years in a row.) The...read more of this article.

Activity on the Beach

posted: May 19, 2015, 6:20 PM

We've had some turtle activity on our beach, but so far, no nests. On May 6 the early morning patrol found two false crawls. This means the mother turtle came ashore but did not make a nest or lay the eggs. Tropical storm Ana came through right after that and we haven't seen any new tracks since. The storm changed the beach leaving large escarpments and drop offs at the end of many walkways. The...read more of this article.

It's almost Turtle Time!

posted: April 11, 2015, 3:26 PM

When the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol holds their annual meeting, we know it's almost time for the mother sea turtles to return to Holden Beach. The "official" beginning was the gathering of Turtle Patrol members on Saturday April 11, 2015. Officers elected for the year were Tony Marwitz (President), Nan Rex (Secretary) and Dave Lurix (Treasurer). Pat Cusack is the new Project Coordinator holding our permit from the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. The new T-shirts...read more of this article.

The 2015 Turtle Shirt

posted: March 22, 2015, 8:55 PM

The secret is out. The design of the 2015 Holden Beach Turtle Patrol T-shirt is revealed! "The journey begins on Holden Beach" is the slogan along with a sea turtle hatchling on a blue shirt. The first batch of shirts are now available at the Lighthouse Gift Shop on the Holden Beach causeway. Adult sizes S through 2X are stocked. We hope to have youth sizes and some long sleeve T's next week. T-shirts are...read more of this article.

2015 Season Starting Soon

posted: March 15, 2015, 8:03 AM

The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol’s Annual Organizational Meeting will be Saturday April 11, 2015 at 10 a.m. at the Holden Beach Town Hall. All members are encouraged to attend. New volunteers, trainees and guests are welcomed! Have you always wanted to join the Turtle Patrol on Holden Beach? This is the time to get involved, before the season starts. For more information contact our Program Coordinator, Pat Cusack tpcusack@mac.com ...read more of this article.

End of year statistics

posted: October 24, 2014, 5:10 PM

2014: # 13 Turtle Talk Programs with 1554 people attending. # 7 Children's Turtle Times with 189 kids attending. # 19 nests and we moved 1410 eggs in 8 of them. # 1582 shells found at close out and a total of 1179 total baby turtles hatched. # our average incubation date was 61 days. # the DNA studies showed we had 6 individual momma turtles---maybe a couple more when studies are done. Thanks to...read more of this article.

Change of Plans...nest 19 CLOSED

posted: October 21, 2014, 6:16 AM

Update on nest 19. It was closed Monday evening October 20. The team found 9 babies to add to the 17 that went out last Friday. Due to the DNA study, we know that this momma had 4 other nests this summer. Two of the babies from Friday are at the Karen Beasley Turtle Hospital, Topsail, NC and thriving and 3 from the excavation will probably be taken there today due to egg sacs and...read more of this article.

The last nest has hatched!

posted: October 18, 2014, 8:12 AM

It’s happened! Nest 19 had its first emergence Friday morning October 17 when 17 turtles popped out of the sand between 8:00 and 9:00 AM . The team will be at the nest every evening until next Wednesday, Oct 22 when they will close. It’s at 363 OBW. There were 34 eggs in this nest, so hopefully there will be more hatchlings to see between now and Wednesday! Everyone is invited to stop by. ...read more of this article.

Sad day for Turtle Patrol

posted: October 3, 2014, 2:05 PM

We lost one of our own--Paulette Wade-passed away on October 2 after a long summer of fighting liver disease. She was unable to help with turtles this summer--but always asked how the patrol and the turtles were doing. Donations may be made in Paulette's name to the SECU Hospice of Brunswick County. A memorial will be held Sunday October 19th from 1-3 p.m. at the Winding River Beach House on Holden Beach, a place Paulette...read more of this article.

And then there was one (nest)!

posted: October 1, 2014, 5:41 PM

Nest 17 boiled last night after everyone had left. The team will close this nest on Friday. This leaves us with one nest on Holden Beach. Nest # 19. It was collared and set up last night. The adoption team will be watching this nest until it hatches. What we know about nest #19---it was laid on August 9 at 359 OB (west). The 34 eggs were moved a few houses west. It's "due date"...read more of this article.

More from the state coordinator

posted: September 11, 2014, 6:18 AM

Matthew H. Godfrey, PhD , Biologist, NC Wildlife Resources Commission with the Sea Turtle Project said in a recent email... "The sea turtle nesting season in North Carolina officially ended on 31 August, but we might still get a few late nests (for instance, on Saturday, a green turtle nest was laid in Cape Hatteras). To date, there have been 538 loggerhead nests, 11 green turtle nests and one Kemp’s ridley nest laid in NC...read more of this article.

Nesting down across the state

posted: September 10, 2014, 9:17 PM

We know the number of nests on Holden Beach is down this year (only 19 nests) and according to an article in the Sunday, September 7, 2014 Wilmington Star News ---- http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20140907/ARTICLES/140909759/0/search --- this is true across the whole state. The articles says: "The number of sea turtle nests along the North Carolina coast plummeted this season following four years of steadily increasing numbers. Though the decrease was drastic – a 58 percent drop from...read more of this article.

Two nests closed

posted: September 1, 2014, 10:27 PM

Nests #10 and #11 closed last night. It's interesting that they both were laid on June 30 and both got a depression on the same day (last Thursday) and both hatched that same night about 8:15 p.m. Both nests also had a great boil! The team from nest #10 found one hatchling in the nest...it raced down the trench and into the ocean (see photo). The team is still waiting for nest #9 (also laid...read more of this article.

Turtles leave before the storm!

posted: August 23, 2014, 4:40 PM

Last night turtle nest #8 had a fast and furious boil just before a thunderstorm. There was a unique depression on this nest (see photo taken at 8 p.m.) and the team felt that there was movement and the nest would hatch soon. This was day #63. But there was also a thunderstorm coming and everyone needed to be off the beach. At 9:20 pm as the HBTP members were securing the grate and fox...read more of this article.

Nest 7 closed but season isn't over..yet.

posted: August 18, 2014, 5:41 PM

According to our ever efficient and "super duper" morning scheduler, Maggie, turtle nest #7 closed out on Saturday night. Nest #8 is active and should have babies sometime this week. Nests 9, 10 and 11 will be "collared" tomorrow (August 19) and they should hatch within the next 12 days. So far we have sent 554 hatchlings to the ocean. We've only had 11 False Crawls this year--the last one was 5 days ago. Our...read more of this article.

Nest #19

posted: August 10, 2014, 3:33 PM

It's been a slow year for our turtle patrol....especially after last year's record 73 nests. But it isn't too late for a few more mother's to lay eggs. Nest #19 was found yesterday and members moved 34 eggs. That small number of eggs is typical for a late season nest. We have closed 4 nests which leaves us with 15 active nests. Nest 4 boiled last Friday and will be closed out tomorrow. That was...read more of this article.

Three nests have closed already!

posted: August 5, 2014, 5:43 AM

Nests # 1,2 and 3 have all hatched! They were laid on May 20 (nest #1) and June 3 (both nests 2 and 3). So far we've had 335 hatchlings released into the ocean. There was another false crawl yesterday morning, perhaps she'll be back later this week---so we know there is still the possibility of a few more new nests this year. Teams have begun watching nests #6, #7 and #8 and will soon...read more of this article.

Nest 3 hatches!

posted: July 31, 2014, 11:37 AM

Nest #3 boiled Tuesday night July 29th around 7:25 pm. The team had 74 healthy hatchlings down the trench and into the water by 7:50. Usually nests don't hatch when it's still daylight, but it was a cooler day and slightly cloudy, so everyone was treated to baby turtles in the daylight. The team will close out the nest on Friday 1 August. It was a beautiful sight to see and and we had a...read more of this article.

Saturday morning update!

posted: July 26, 2014, 10:10 AM

Two nests and a false crawl today. Closing nest #1 tonight, so far only small numbers of hatchlings seen from that nest. Vacationers reported seeing a momma turtle on the beach last night, they took photos and she turned around and left without laying her eggs. This is a called a false crawl, perhaps they frightened her away. We found nest #17 not far from the false crawl and think it maybe the same mother...read more of this article.

Finally some action!

posted: July 23, 2014, 5:33 PM

We've been waiting for nest #1 to hatch. It was laid on May 20 and the team has been watching it since July 9. Last night 2 hatchlings went into the ocean. There are 151 eggs unaccounted for in this nest. Nests 2 and 3 are being "collared" today and we hope to have hatchlings withing the next week. Our #16 nest was found this morning with 136 egg moved to a safer location. Two...read more of this article.

Busy Weekend

posted: July 14, 2014, 5:29 AM

This past weekend provided three new sea turtle nests on Holden Beach. The nest count is now 15 for the season. This ties the lowest nest count the patrol has ever had and we still have a month of nesting to go....read more of this article.

Still at 12

posted: July 7, 2014, 5:12 PM

We still only have 12 nests on Holden Beach. According to the state biologist at the NC Wildlife Resources Commission this nesting season has been much slower than last year. To date, we are just under 300 nests for the year statewide. If the seasonal trend is similar to other years, we should expect about 650-750 nests total this year. He is not surprised that this year is slow, particularly because we have had four...read more of this article.

Slow start to the season

posted: July 1, 2014, 8:54 PM

It's been a slow year for turtle nests on our beach. As of yesterday (June 30) we've only had 11 turtle nests. Last year at this time we had 35 nests on Holden Beach. We're hearing similar reports from across the state. After record breaking numbers last season, the numbers of nests are down this year (so far). But things may be changing! Yesterday morning was busy for our volunteers. The ATV rider found 2...read more of this article.

Wave Runner released!

posted: June 5, 2014, 7:19 AM

Great news! Wave Runner, the Kemp's Ridley turtle stranded with fishing line by the Holden Beach pier has been released from the hospital. See the complete story and photos of the stranding and release under the photos section of this website. ...read more of this article.

Pick up your stuff!

posted: June 1, 2014, 5:42 PM

A friendly reminder to remove all your personal items from the beach. It is a regulation on Holden Beach that all items must be removed from the beach each day by 6 p.m. or when you are finished using them. While this looks like a neat pile and the tent cover has been taken off it does not comply with regulations. Also, while it is fun to dig deep holes in the sand, please fill...read more of this article.

Our first nest of the year!

posted: May 20, 2014, 5:03 PM

We're excited to announce our first nest of the year laid this morning (Tuesday May 20)! There were 157 Loggerhead eggs and it was relocated. We will begin watching the nest for hatchlings on or about July 9th. Note the yellow tape around the nest? This is our new "code". Yellow means the nest was laid in May. This was the first nest in Brunswick County this year....read more of this article.

Nesting Season is Here!

posted: May 10, 2014, 1:54 PM

We just got word that the first turtle nest in NC for 2014 was laid yesterday (May 9) at Cape Lookout. It was a loggerhead nest. The water temperature at Holden Beach is going up (72 degrees) which hopefully means we'll see mommas on our beach soon. Morning riders have begun their early morning searches for turtle crawls. Please remember Turtles Dig the Dark! If you live (or are renting) on Holden Beach please turn...read more of this article.

Stranding Team in Action!

posted: April 30, 2014, 5:30 PM

Thanks to members of our stranding team for their fast action in rescuing a Kemp's Ridley turtle that was caught in fishing line off the Holden Beach Pier. Also thanks to the fishermen who alerted the team and Stephen Venker for these photos. Other photos can be seen on the Town of Holden Beach FACEBOOK page and under Photos on this website--look for Kemp Ridley Rescue 2014. Remember that if you see a turtle on...read more of this article.

Days at the Docks

posted: April 28, 2014, 1:03 PM

Thanks to all the Turtle Patrol members who worked our booth at the Days at the Docks festival in Holden Beach this past weekend. Thanks too to everyone who stopped by to say hello, for information about our turtles and to buy one of this year's T-shirts. The 25th Anniversary T- Shirt appears to be popular already...we sold 67 shirts at the festival! There are 3 ways you can get a shirt....they are on sale...read more of this article.

T-Shirts are available by mail

posted: March 24, 2014, 2:39 PM

Several have asked. Even if you can't make it to Holden Beach this summer, you can own the 2014 25th Anniversary 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. Available sizes: Youth XS (4-5), S (6-8), M (10-12) and L (12-14) $15 Adults S, M, L and XL $17...read more of this article.

2014 Annual Meeting

posted: March 1, 2014, 5:09 PM

Have you always wanted to join the Turtle Patrol on Holden Beach? For more information contact Skip Hager at hagers2@atmc.net. This is the time to learn more and sign up! The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol’s annual meeting will be Saturday March 29 at 10 a.m. at the Holden Beach Town Hall. New volunteers, trainees and guests are welcomed to attend. ...read more of this article.

25th Anniversary T-shirts

posted: February 6, 2014, 1:42 PM

The shelves at the Lighthouse Gift Shop on the Causeway in Holden Beach have been stocked! Check out or 2014 25th anniversary shirt. Yes, the Turtle Patrol has been helping sea turtle in Holden Beach since 1989. The shirts are $15 for children, $17 for adults small to XL and $19 for 2X and 2X. Shirts will also be available at Days at the Docks in Holden Beach in April and at Turtle Talks all...read more of this article.

2014 T-shirts are available!

posted: January 18, 2014, 7:13 AM

The 2014, 25th Anniversary T-shirts are now at the Lighthouse Gift Shop on the causeway in Holden Beach. The T-shirt committee wanted a simple design, and decided on a kelly green shirt with tribal turtles printed in black. The small turtle and tracks on the front represent the hatchlings that left the beach in 1989, and the larger turtle on the back represents all the mama turtles that we hope are starting to come back...read more of this article.

Turtle Hospital News

posted: December 30, 2013, 11:12 AM

For those that have been following ..after a long delay....the Karen Beasley Turtle Hospital has moved to their new facility! Yeah! See the attached link to the Topsail Advertiser for complete details. http://www.topsailadvertiser.com/20-patients-recuperating-in-sea-turtle-sick-bay-1.255415?page=0 The green sea turtle talked about in the article is one of our rescues. ICie was found in the IntraCoastal (thus ICie) near Holden Beach and taken to the turtle hospital by our stranding team....read more of this article.

End of Season Report

posted: December 12, 2013, 5:53 AM

Our Coordinator Skip Hager reported to the turtle patrol members: "Ultimately we ended up with 73 nests, which tied our previous best year of 1998. In North Carolina we had a grand total of 1302 nests, with 1275 being Loggerheads, a new record for both. That equates to 134,646 eggs laid and 96298 hatched. Our part of that was 7754 laid and 7158 released, about a 92% success rate. For 1998 our numbers were 9102...read more of this article.

Season finally over.

posted: December 4, 2013, 3:39 PM

This record "turtle season" on Holden Beach ended on a sad note last Monday evening (December 2) when the final nest of the year was closed. This nest had been "watched" by our Assistant Coordinators since early October. Unfortunately there were no live babies found. The nest had 117 eggs total. Of the 73 nests on our beach this year it was the only one that had no babies emerge. These nests that are later...read more of this article.

One left!

posted: November 18, 2013, 10:17 AM

We're still watching the last nest on Holden Beach. Nest #71 closed yesterday with 8 hatchlings out of 46 eggs. Four babies made their way to the ocean. The other four are currently patients at the Karen Beasley Turtle Hospital in Topsail, NC. They are HB 1, HB 2, HB 3 and HB 4. It's reported that a couple of them are eating and waiting for a boat ride to the Gulf Stream. Thanks to...read more of this article.

Down to Two Nests

posted: November 1, 2013, 4:12 PM

Yes, we are still watching two nests on Holden Beach. Yes, it is November. Yes, this is unusual...but it is not unheard of. We have had nests hatch in November other years---especially back in 1998 --the last time we had 73 nests in a season.The big concern with babies this late in the season is cold-stun. Nest # 70 closed this past Sunday (on day 75) with a total of 60 babies into the ocean....read more of this article.

Lots of nests statewide this year

posted: October 22, 2013, 12:28 PM

It's been a wild and crazy season for turtles up and down the North Carolina Coast. The latest report shows that the state has had 1296 nests this year (that's a new record). The last known nest was laid on Cape Hatteras on September 11. Total babies to hatch so far are 88,489. There are at least 300 nests to hatch in the state. We still have three active nests on Holden Beach....read more of this article.

Nest #69 closes tonight

posted: October 20, 2013, 3:43 PM

Turtle Patrol members watched nest #69 for 17 nights before seeing any "action". It boiled last Thursday with 54 babies. Members and vacationers saw 6 more babies last night....but we know...because the morning rider saw little "flipper prints" headed to the ocean on Friday morning...that means more babies have hatched. The photos are of two babies making their way from the nest to the ocean at about 5 p.m. last night. This time of year...read more of this article.

We still have active nests on the beach!

posted: October 12, 2013, 8:26 AM

Yes, we still have six active nests on Holden Beach. All of these nests were laid after August 1. The last nest was laid on August 22 and is located at 795 OBW. It was "collared" this past week. The "due date" is October 16...but these late season nest have been going long past the due date (we've had some that are already 10 days past the this date...and waiting.) This was a "natural nest"...read more of this article.

And then there were eight

posted: October 2, 2013, 11:02 AM

Nest # 69 at 145 OBW was "collared" last night. The momma turtle laid this nest on August 12. It contains 113 eggs. Its projected due date is Sunday October 6. But, this time of year, when the sand starts to get colder it may take a little longer for them to hatch. Also the turtles may not follow the "rules" of hatching after dark. The HBTP asks beach goers to be aware of this...read more of this article.

Nine nests left!

posted: September 26, 2013, 9:01 PM

We have several nests closing tonight and tomorrow so we will be down to 9 nests on Holden Beach. So far this year we've helped over 6500 babies into the water. Turtle Patrol members are still on the beach each evening. It's been a great year for us....read more of this article.

73 and holding on Holden

posted: September 1, 2013, 11:27 AM

The last known momma laid nest #72 on August 22---over a week-and-a-half ago. We usually consider the nesting season over when it's been 2 weeks since a mother has laid a nest. Some of us are hoping for "just one more" nest so we can beat the record of 73 nests in a season. We're only about half-way through the hatching season and our patrol members are working hard out every night watching the nests....read more of this article.

Record Tied

posted: August 22, 2013, 4:52 PM

A momma turtle laid nest # 72 this morning. And then we had a surprise nest hatch that was discovered by some vacationers. These two nests brings our total up to 73 nests. This matches our all-time record set in 1998 for the number of turtle nests found on Holden Beach. We have 25 nests hatch so far and more are expected every day. Photos of closing nest #19 during a high tide. Ken shows...read more of this article.

God Speed Holden 3

posted: August 18, 2013, 9:20 AM

This past Thursday was a great day for members of the stranding team from our turtle patrol. One of our own rescued turtles was released by the Karen Beasley Turtle Hospital back into the ocean. Holden III is an injured Green Sea Turtle that was found on Holden Beach last year. Members of our stranding team took the turtle to the turtle hospital. Holden 3 (this was the 3rd turtle named Holden from our beach)...read more of this article.

Busy day and night on the beach

posted: August 12, 2013, 9:56 PM

We're busy busy busy on the beach. One new nest this morning (bringing the total so far to 69--almost the record). Two nests closed this evening. More being collared this week! Photos are of turtles found in nest 14 as they walk to the ocean. Trainee Rob completed escorted two babies down the trench. ...read more of this article.

Thank you Lou Ann

posted: August 11, 2013, 5:45 PM

A special thank you to Lou Ann Keisler of Supply, NC for the beautiful pieced turtle wall hanging. She presented it to turtle patrol members on the beach last week. We can't decide which side we like best. Thank you for your support, we'll make good use of your work, to make our displays and exhibits more exciting. Speaking of exciting..there are at least 7 "active" nests on the beach right now with lots of...read more of this article.

Lots of activity on the beach

posted: August 6, 2013, 9:24 PM

So much has happened since the first nest hatched last week! We've had a total of seven nests "boil" so far. There are so many babies we can't keep the report accurate and up-to-date. We have many "active" nests on the beach. The momma turtles are still laying but they are slowing down. Please remember to knock down sand castles and fill in holes when you leave the beach each evening. See you on the...read more of this article.

First nest "closed"

posted: August 1, 2013, 11:29 PM

A large crowd gathered to cheer "Sparkles', "Rosie", "Chubby" and their 30 siblings as they raced to the ocean when members of the Turtle Patrol "closed" the first nest of the season tonight. Look for more photos on the photo page of this website....read more of this article.

We have babies......

posted: July 30, 2013, 11:38 AM

Yeah! a crowd of about 100 ---lots of vacationers and new HBTP trainees---got to see our first nest of the year hatch last night. We helped 57 babies into the ocean about 8:30 p.m. This was officially nest #2 on our beach this year..it was laid on May 28. We know there were 130 eggs in this nest, so we expect to have more hatch from this nest over the next couple of days. The...read more of this article.

Almost record breaking year

posted: July 28, 2013, 10:09 AM

The ATV rider found two more nests on the beach this morning. This brings the total turtle nests on Holden Beach to 63 (so far). This is the second highest number in the HBTP's history. The most nests we've had was 73 in 1998. We estimate that we have a couple more weeks of potential nesting, so we may beat that record! So far no nests have hatched. But nest #2 has a "depression"...so any...read more of this article.

The Waiting Begins!

posted: July 24, 2013, 4:03 PM

Our first 3 nests have been "trenched" and the waiting begins. No baby turtle, yet. They are "expected" any day now. Look for and visit with Turtle Patrol members on the beach in the evening by these nests--look for the red shirts. Traditionally the first nests of the season take a little longer than the normal 55-60 day incubation--because the sand was cooler back in May and early June when these nests were laid. On...read more of this article.

BUSY NESTING!

posted: July 17, 2013, 2:01 PM

Wow! those mother turtles have been busy. We had a total of 48 nests last year and already 50 this year! More than half of these nests (26) are "natural nests" . This means we did not need to move them. So far none of our nests have hatched. Don't forget Turtle Talk each Wednesday night and Children's Turtle Time each Wednesday in July. Come learn about the turtle who nest on Holden Beach....read more of this article.

False Crawls

posted: July 11, 2013, 11:14 AM

The turtle mamas have had a tough week. We've had 12 false crawls since last Tuesday (July 2) and only 3 new nests. The beach is very crowded, this may be why the mother turtles are abandoning their efforts to lay eggs. Please, do not bother a mother turtle if you see her attempting to come ashore. Please do not shine lights on the turtles or take flash photos of them. This may only frighten...read more of this article.

Beach Clean Up Sunday!

posted: June 29, 2013, 12:28 PM

One of the most important ways you can help the turtles is to have a clean beach. Help us keep our beach trash free! This Sunday June 30 there will be a Beach Clean up on Holden Beach. Meet at the Pavillion under the bridge at 9:30 a.m to get supplies (trash bags and gloves provided) and assignements. Meet back at Paradise Cafe at noon for beverages and snacks, a environmental talk and silent auction....read more of this article.

Children's Turtle Time starts this week!

posted: June 23, 2013, 9:40 PM

The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol announces a special program for younger turtle enthusiasts. It’s called “Children’s Turtle Time” and will be held Wednesdays June 26, July 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 4 p.m. at the Holden Beach Town Hall. These programs will feature age appropriate crafts, stories and activities for children ages 3 to 6 years old. The children will be divided into two groups: ages 3 & 4 and 5 & 6....read more of this article.

Turtle Bench Raffle

posted: June 20, 2013, 7:24 AM

Would you like to own this beautiful Sea Turtle Bench? Thanks to a donation from Candara Creations of Holden Beach we are raffling off this bench with all proceeds going to the HBTP. Tickets will be for sale at all Turtle Talks and Children's Turtle Times this summer. They are $1 for one ticket or 6 for $5. The winner will be announced in October. We can not ship this bench...so the winner must come...read more of this article.

I found them!

posted: June 15, 2013, 10:33 AM

Mother turtles were busy last night. We had 4 nests on the beach this morning. Photos show volunteers finding the eggs at nest #16. This momma came in at high tide and left her eggs high and dry on the beach. This nest was not moved but marked and covered. The number of eggs are unknown....read more of this article.

Yes we have nests!

posted: June 9, 2013, 5:32 PM

The first nest for 2013 on Holden Beach was laid on May 28. That's later than the last two years---in 2012 our first nest was May 12 and in 2011 it was May 21. It is estimated that this nest will hatch and we'll see the first baby turtles on Holden Beach around July 24. Since then the mommas have been active on the beach with 8 total nests and numerous false crawls. This photo...read more of this article.

HB Turtle Patrol begins ATV crawl patrols.

posted: May 3, 2013, 3:34 PM

We started patrolling Holden Beach on May 1. A Holden Beach Turtle Patrol member patrols all eight miles of the beach each morning. All you early risers can be on the lookout for these dawn patrols. The water temperatures are still fairly low...so we don’t expect to see mothers laying eggs until later in the month. Then again mother nature and the turtles may surprise us....read more of this article.

First Florida Loggerheads!

posted: April 23, 2013, 9:19 PM

Matthew Godfrey, the coordinator for the Sea Turtle program here in North Carolina reported yesterday that loggerhead nesting in Florida for the 2013 season has begun with several new clutches laid in Melbourne Beach and Juno Beach. As yet, there haven't been any observed nests in Georgia or South Carolina, but probably it won't be long now, and NC should start receiving some sea turtle nests soon after....read more of this article.

The 2013 HB Turtle Patrol T-Shirt and HAT!

posted: April 1, 2013, 7:05 AM

The 2013 shirt is now available for sale at the Lighthouse Gift Shop in Holden Beach. This year’s shirt features a mother loggerhead and the slogan “Coming Home to Holden Beach. “ In addition to the t-shirts, this year the HBTP will also be selling hats. The shirts are $15 for the youth sizes and $17 for the adults, 2X & 3X will be $19, and the hats $18. T-shirts and hats will be available...read more of this article.

Attention potential volunteers!

posted: February 21, 2013, 4:43 PM

Have you always wanted to join the Turtle Patrol on Holden Beach? For more information contact Skip Hager at hagers2@atmc.net. This is the time to learn more and sign up! The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol’s annual meeting will be Saturday March 2 at 10 a.m. at the Holden Beach Town Hall. New volunteers, trainees and guests are welcomed to attend....read more of this article.

End of Season Report for 2012

posted: December 19, 2012, 10:50 AM

The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol is an active and dedicated group of folks. Members reported over 8535 volunteer hours for this past turtle season and donated 62,780 miles. If we had to put a dollar value on this it would be over $151,000! NC Wildlife reports that Holden Beach has about 25% of the recorded hours for the whole state. Great job! Thanks for all you do to help the turtles on Holden Beach! ...read more of this article.

When do the turtles hatch?

posted: September 20, 2012, 11:41 AM

That’s a frequent question Turtle Patrol members get while on the beach. The usual answer is we don’t really know (like human babies, they come when they are ready). But, traditionally the hatchlings emerge from the nest at night and usually just after dark. The sand cools when the sun goes down and their instincts tell the babies that it’s safer for them outside. BUT.....somehow our turtles this year are different. We had a nest...read more of this article.

Thank you Noah!

posted: September 18, 2012, 11:57 AM

Special thank you goes out to Noah Harrell from Christiansburg, VA. Noah and his family vacationed on Holden Beach earlier this summer and they came to our Turtle Talk program. Noah’s mother wrote prior to the visit that he has become absolutely amazed with sea turtles and conservation efforts. Noah celebrated his 7th birthday while at Holden Beach. In lieu of birthday gifts this year he asked that people give him money, which he donated...read more of this article.

MYSTERY NESTS!

posted: August 31, 2012, 3:13 PM

We haven’t spotted a new mother turtle on the beach for over 3 weeks, but we have two more nests. How does this happen? Tuesday night we had a surprise “boil” at what we’re now calling our 47th nest. Vacationers saw 35 babies to the water and after Turtle Patrol members arrived 32 more babies marched to the sea. This was the site of a “false crawl” earlier this summer, we looked for it but...read more of this article.

Innovative Surgery on Injured Sea Turtle

posted: August 12, 2012, 11:29 AM

Doctors at NC State University in Raleigh recently completed experimental surgery on a sea turtle. This sea turtle was found by an Holden Beach town employee on the west end of the island. He called the Turtle Patrol’s stranding team. Team members Pat Anderson and Sue Hoffacker took the turtle (named Holden III) to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital on Topsail island. The green sea turtle weighs about seven pounds and had a 3”...read more of this article.

Nesting Continues!

posted: August 5, 2012, 10:10 AM

A team of volunteers was called out on August 4th for nest 46 for this year. The mother turtle came in on high tide and left on low tide—leaving an interesting crawl pattern in the sand. She spent some time crawling up the dune. The eggs were high and dry, but surrounded by many plants, so this nest of 93 eggs was moved. Could this the last nest of the year? We hope the laying...read more of this article.

NOW 50 % more nests than last year!

posted: August 1, 2012, 10:36 PM

It’s a good turtle season in North Carolina....As of July 31 we had 45 nests on Holden Beach. That’s 15 more than last year. We’re not the only beach that has more turtle nests this year. According to Matthew Godfrey from the Sea Turtle Project @ the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, as of 31 July, there were 953 loggerhead nests reported statewide. Based on seasonal data from previous years, about 90% of all the nests...read more of this article.

SCOUT BAILEY WATTS Builds Table for HBTP

posted: July 29, 2012, 1:34 PM

During the 2011 turtle season. Bailey Watts a local Boy Scout contacted the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol to see if he could help us for his Eagle Scout Project. He joined the HBTP on several nests last season and under the supervision of an Assistant Coordinator, he helped carry equipment, collared nests, trenched, sat nests, attended Turtle Talk sections, talked to visitors on the beach, and assisted in closing nests. Prior to the start of...read more of this article.

One more Children’s Turtle Time—Wednesday August 1.

posted: July 27, 2012, 7:28 PM

We’ve had a great turn out for the first 3 programs! Lots of kids and parents that are interested in turtles. This program features age appropriate crafts, stories and activities for children ages 3 to 6 years old. The are divided into two groups: ages 3 & 4 and 5 & 6. Each group learns about the sea turtles that nest on Holden Beach. The younger group makes a turtle craft and the older group...read more of this article.

Nest ONE boils!

posted: July 21, 2012, 8:55 AM

Finally, and without anyone watching (of course!) nest #1 boiled Wednesday night July 18. Vacationers missed the boil, also, but followed the tracks down the trench and watched for washbacks (babies being washed onto the beach by the waves).......none! Excellent turtles! There were 131 eggs in this nest, but we have no way of knowing how many hatched during this boil. This nest was “due” July 6 and Turtle Patrol members have been anxiously “watching”...read more of this article.

NEW this year! CHILDREN'S Turtle TIME!

posted: July 7, 2012, 10:29 PM

It’s called The first “Children’s Turtle Time” and will be held this Wednesday July 11 at 4 p.m. at the Holden Beach Town Hall. This program is for younger turtle enthusiasts. This program will feature age appropriate crafts, stories and activities for children ages 3 to 6 years old. The children will be divided into two groups: ages 3 & 4 and 5 & 6. Each group will learn about the sea turtles that nest...read more of this article.

Celebrate July 4th with Turtle Talk!

posted: July 1, 2012, 6:22 PM

4th of July week will be busy time for Turtle Patrol. Yes, there will be Turtle Talk as scheduled on Wednesday July 4. We will start at 7 p.m. and promise to be done be 8 p.m. so there will still be time to see the official firework displays. Please do not set fireworks off on the beach as it may frighten any mother turtles coming ashore to lay her eggs. Also, nest #1 (laid...read more of this article.

ALREADY MORE NESTS THAN LAST YEAR!

posted: June 27, 2012, 7:52 AM

It’s already been a busy turtle season! We reached 31 nests this morning! One more than our total count of last year. Very busy mama turtles. We’re also been very crowded at Turtle Talk on Wednesday evenings. We’ve had “Standing Room Only” and will soon be needing to turn people away, so get there early. We’re really sorry when we have to turn folks away, please accept our apologies, but the room at Town Hall...read more of this article.

AMAZING FALSE CRAWL on June 13

posted: June 16, 2012, 12:53 PM

Decisions, decisions!!! Even Sea Turtle Women sometimes can't decide!! This "lady" just couldn't make up her mind on Wednesday morning. She wanted that space and someone had already taken it so she looked further, and further, and further. After a very long "road trip" through and around and around the dunes she decided the heck with it. What, with a lion (obstacle) laying in wait, can you blame her? We hope she'll be back. Skip...read more of this article.

WESTI released to the Sea! June 6th.

posted: June 7, 2012, 2:04 PM

Westi, a loggerhead sea turtle, was released back into the ocean on Wednesday, June 6th. Rescued by the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol Stranding Team last June (2011), Westi spent the summer, winter and spring at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital in Topsail. Members of the HB Turtle Patrol were present to see Westi head out to sea. Curt & Kathy, of the HBTP, two of the team members who helped rescue Westi, spoke of...read more of this article.

TURTLE TALK STARTS Wed June 6th

posted: June 5, 2012, 1:15 PM

The first Turtle Talk of the summer will be this Wednesday June 6th. Turtle Talk will begin at 7 p.m. at the Holden Beach Town Hall, 110 Rothschild Street on Holden Beach. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and seating is limited. This free weekly educational program will conducted each Wednesday evening in June, July and August. The program shares information about the Turtle Patrol, the sea turtles and how vacationers and residents can help...read more of this article.

FALSE CRAWLS

posted: May 31, 2012, 9:42 AM

So far this year we have had 23 false crawls. A FALSE CRAWL is when the mother turtle crawls up on the beach but does not lay any eggs? Why? Perhaps she was frightened away by a loud noise, people on the beach or a light. Perhaps she ran into something like a fence or abandoned beach cabana that hindered her crawl. These photos are of False Crawl #22 on Saturday May 26. The response...read more of this article.

NOW 9 Nests!

posted: May 25, 2012, 7:29 PM

Been a pretty eventful week, since the last report, just 5 days ago, we have had 6 new nests and 10 more false crawls. This brings us to a total of 9 nests so far this year. All have needed to be moved except nest #7—we call it a natural nest---the mother laid it in a safe location and we just marked it and placed a fox cage on it to protect it. In the...read more of this article.

More Nests on Holden Beach!

posted: May 20, 2012, 11:03 AM

It's been a busy week! We now have 3 turtle nests on Holden Beach! There are a total of 26 nests statewide, most of the activity has been in our area with 15 of these nests from Caswell Beach to the South Carolina border. ...read more of this article.

FIRST NEST of 2012!

posted: May 13, 2012, 9:26 AM

Welcome to the 2012 Turtle season! Saturday (May 12) marked the arrival the first nesting mother turtle on Holden Beach. The early morning Turtle Patrol ATV riders had a double treat with the first nest and being able to see the mom leaving the nest, rare to catch a turtle still on the beach at full daylight. The nest crew moved 132 eggs. The season for the state actually started over a week ago with...read more of this article.

The 2012 T-Shirt is in!

posted: May 3, 2012, 6:03 PM

The 2012 “official shirt” Holden Beach Turtle patrol T-Shirt is now available. Be among the first to own one. The shirt is blue and is called “Born to Swim”. It features the artwork of Florida artist Paul Brent showing several baby turtles on their first swim. Brent is often referred to as America’s best known coastal artist and is known for his idyllic watercolors of coastal life. They are $15 for youth sizes XS-L, Adult...read more of this article.

STILL TIME TO SIGN UP!

posted: April 15, 2012, 4:06 PM

The Holden Beach Turtle Patrol held their annual meeting on Saturday April 14th. We welcome the new trainees who got their feet wet at the meeting. There is still time to volunteer for this years patrol. Contact our Project coordinator Skip Hager at hagers2@atmc.net. Congratulations to Tony, Dave & Joe who are elected as Holden Beach Turtle Patrol Officers. ...read more of this article.

How To Volunteer for 2012 Season!

posted: March 8, 2012, 9:11 AM

Interested in working with the Hold Beach Turtle Patrol in 2012? Please contact Skip Hagger at hagers2@atmc.net for instructions and to set up training. The annual business meeting of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol ( HBTP ) will be held in the meeting room of Holden Beach Town Hall on Saturday April 14 starting at 10:00AM. At that meeting we will elect officers for this year, welcome some new trainees, as well as discuss any...read more of this article.

2011 Final Turtle Count

posted: October 26, 2011, 7:54 AM

We had a total of 30 turtle nests on Holden Beach this summer. All were loggerhead turtle nests. We had a total of 3422 eggs laid and 2372 turtle hatchlings released. The number of total turtles released (70%) may seem low. This can be attributed to 5 nests this year that were completely non-fertile eggs. If we don't count those nests, the release rate was 79%. Yeah! We also had a total of 2494 people...read more of this article.

Nest 30 Photos

posted: October 8, 2011, 9:59 AM

Here is the crowd at the closing of the last nest for 2011 on October 4th....read more of this article.

Early October Update - last three nests.

posted: October 3, 2011, 9:18 AM

It’s getting colder on the beach. Nest 28 was finally closed on the evening of the 24th with a total of 16 hatchlings released. This was a very hard luck nest that tried to the end to produce a good hatch. Washed over, washed out, baked in the sun, and then washed over several times again it still managed to produce some hatchlings. We can account for 53 eggs in the nest but it most...read more of this article.

Nest 28 Stirs

posted: September 12, 2011, 12:58 PM

Good news. Nest #28 had one turtle boil on Saturday night. This nest has had a difficult time due to the storm and high water so one is a good sign. Hopefully more to come....read more of this article.

Last three nests.

posted: September 7, 2011, 7:32 PM

The turtle season on Holden Beach is drawing to a close. We are down to our last 3 nests. Nests 25, 26 & 27 were opened on Monday night (9/5) to protect any hatchlings from another over wash. Sadly, nest 25 ultimately was victim to Irene. The nest was full of black mold that essentially smothered all 116 fully developed embryos before they could break out of their shells. Nest 26 turned out to be...read more of this article.

We get fan mail!

posted: September 4, 2011, 2:03 PM

Earlier this year we got a letter from a young friend in Sumter, SC. Dear Turtle Watch Program, I love what y’all do. I absolutely love animals too. I always thought your jobs are so cool. You once let me hold a turtle egg while on the beach. I am 11 and doing all I can to help the turtles, if I see trash I pick it up on the beach thinking about the turtles....read more of this article.

The Year of the Turtle

posted: September 4, 2011, 2:01 PM

Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) has declared 2011 as the year of the turtle. They’re celebrating all turtles, not just sea turtles. The September 2011 Year of the Turtle Newsletter and Calendar is now ready and can be found on line at http://parcplace.org/images/stories/YOT/YearoftheTurtleCalendarSeptember.pdf This month’s issue features a great photo of a sea turtle on Bald Head Island and highlights efforts and ways you can help, to conserve sea turtles. They also have...read more of this article.

Post Hurricane Irene

posted: August 28, 2011, 2:17 PM

Good news! We still have seven nests on Holden Beach. More good news, nest # 24 boiled Saturday night after the storm. Over 12 inches of extra sand was deposited on top of this nest. The grate, markers and sign from nest #28 (a natural nest) were lost in the storm, but it was found using the GPS and replaced. Trenches were dug for nests #24 and 25 yesterday. They had to dig down through...read more of this article.

Hurricane Irene Update August 27, 2011

posted: August 27, 2011, 9:50 AM

People have been asking about the turtles on the beach and the storm. Unfortunately there is not much we can do during the storm to prevent water getting into the nests and/or large waves and winds washing them away. We can hope. The turtle patrol is off the beach Friday and Saturday. The bridge to Holden Beach closes when wind speeds exceed 45 miles per hour and was closed Friday night at 6 pm. All...read more of this article.

August 24th Update

posted: August 24, 2011, 10:19 PM

We’re anxiously and cautiously waiting to see what happens with Hurricane Irene. Nest # 20 “boiled” last night (August 23) so it will be “closed out” before the hurricane gets here. We’ve “closed out” 20 nests so far this year with approximately 1968 baby turtles into the water. Sadly we’ve had a couple of nests this year with infertile eggs. That really lowers our “hatch” rate. Right now it’s 87% (# of eggs that hatch)....read more of this article.

Approaching the End Of Laying Season

posted: August 17, 2011, 11:16 AM

We are now up to 30 Loggerhead nests on Holden Beach this year (one more than last year). The last nest was found on August 6. That’s late in the season for a momma. If we go two weeks after that date (August 20) we’ll consider the nesting season officially over for the year. So far this year we only have Loggerheads (no Green or Leatherback turtles like last year). But we’re only about half...read more of this article.

First Holden Beach Nest Hatches!

posted: July 21, 2011, 3:59 PM

Finally we have baby turtles! Eighty-seven baby loggerheads emerged last night under the watchful eyes of Turtle Patrol members and a large crowd of vacationers. A few more hatchlings “snuck” out during the night after the patrol members went home. Nest #1 was laid on May 20th and was a natural nest (this means the momma did a great job locating the nest and the Turtle Patrol did not move it.) Since this was a...read more of this article.

July 5 2011 Update

posted: July 5, 2011, 2:01 PM

June was a busy month for the Turtle Patrol. For 9 days early in the month we had at least one nest everyday. On June 16 and again on June 29 we had three nests each morning! This brings our total to 23 nests for the season. This is slightly more than last year at this time . Three “natural nests” were left where the momma laid them so we don’t know how many eggs...read more of this article.

June 10th 2011 Unusual Eggs

posted: July 5, 2011, 1:57 PM

On June 10 we had a loggerhead nest with a big surprise. Some very unusual eggs more than twice the length of regular eggs. There were 3 elongated eggs up to 5" in length. One of these large eggs was broken and had 5 yokes. This is nest #10 for Holden Beach this year and 101 eggs from this nest were moved. ...read more of this article.

June 4, 2010 Update

posted: June 25, 2011, 2:16 PM

Turtle Talk, the Holden Beach Turtle Watch educational program kicked off this week with an audience of 72 turtle fans. This great beginning saw lots of new red shirted volunteers assisting the experienced team members. Project coordinator, Skip Hager reported that there are lots of jelly fish and Man-of-War (which is a jelly fish like marine invertebrate) in the water. He cautioned audience members to be careful not to come in contact with them as...read more of this article.

2011 T-Shirts

posted: June 25, 2011, 2:15 PM

The Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program is an all volunteer organization that is funded only by the sale of T-shirts available at the educational program, the Light House Gift Shop and through Donations by interested people like you. We would like to give a special thanks to the Light House gift shop for providing us with space and selling our shirts. We would also like to thank the Town of Holden Beach for the tremendous...read more of this article.

May 21, 2010

posted: June 25, 2011, 2:09 PM

We have been working since April getting everything ready for the turtles and they are now here. Our first mother, a Loggerhead came in on May 20th. The number of eggs is unknown since the nest did not need to be moved so we will be expecting babies anytime from July 16th on. We also had our first stranding on the 21st of a Leatherback weighing about 700 pounds. We hope to have a good...read more of this article.

September 30, 2010

posted: June 25, 2011, 2:08 PM

Well our last nest has hatched and the busy part of our year is over. That doesn't mean that we are sitting back doing nothing. It is now time to review the season and make changes and adjustments to our program, design next years shirt and repair our equipment. All in all it was a very successful year. We had a total of 31 false crawls with 29 nests with a total of 3502 eggs...read more of this article.

September 7, 2010

posted: June 25, 2011, 2:08 PM

Well things are winding down. Nest 14 had 89 babies,15 had 128, 17 had 117, 18 had 140, 19 had 91, nest 20 had 115 babies. Nest 21 hatched and had 97, nest 22 had 145,nest 23 had 122 babies hatch. Our Green Turtle nest, nest #24 hatched with 72 babies, with 79 babies out of nest 25 and 97 babies from nest #26. By the end of this week we will be down to...read more of this article.

August 20, 2010

posted: June 25, 2011, 2:07 PM

Well it is August 20th and turtles have been popping out all over. Nest 8 was closed out with 118 babies to the water, nest 9 had 126 babies, nest #10 had 75 , nest #11 had 106, #12 had 110 and #13 had 116 go to the water. We have had the last Turtle Talk for this year on the 18th with record crowds. We would like to thank everyone that came out to...read more of this article.

August 12, 2010

posted: June 25, 2011, 2:06 PM

Well our Leatherback nest (nest 2) has hatched and been closed out. We had 59 babies get to the water out of 69 eggs which is a good hatch rate for a Leatherback nest.Nest 3 was closed out with 102 babies making it to the water. Nest 4 - 7 have hatched and been closed out with 107 babies from nest 4, 68 from nest 5, 115 from nest 6, and 127 from nest 7....read more of this article.

July 27, 2010

posted: June 25, 2011, 2:06 PM

Mothers are still coming in to lay and we had nest 30 last night. The nests have started to hatch and we have around 325 turtles to the water from nests 1,3 and 4. Nest #1 and 3 were closed out last night. Nest #4 has boiled and will be closed out tonight. Nest # 2 is still in waiting and being sat with around the clock with no signs of activity. Nest 5,6 and...read more of this article.

Kate's Lemonade Stand (July 21, 2010)

posted: June 25, 2011, 1:53 PM

We would like to send a special thanks to a young girl named Kate who come to Turtle talk to find out about the turtles. She was so touched that she decided that she needed to do something to help them. She went home to Vienna, Virginia and decided to raise money to help. She set up a Lemonade Stand at her home and made $182 which she donated to the Holden Beach Turtle Program....read more of this article.

June 22 , 2010

posted: June 25, 2011, 1:51 PM

We had a turtle lay a nest last night which is nothing new but the way that it crawled and its flipper size lead us to believe that it was a Green Sea Turtle. If in fact it was a Green then it would be the first in over 10 years. This would also mean that we had three species of sea turtles nesting on Holden Beach this season and that would be a definite...read more of this article.

June 19 , 2010

posted: June 25, 2011, 1:51 PM

We had a live stranding today of a live adult female Loggerhead. Someone at Windy Point saw her in the water and went to the end of their pier to get a better look and saw that she had been hit by a boat, He called the stranding number and members of the Turtle Patrol went to its aid. When they got there it was close to the pier.. They entered the water and brought...read more of this article.

June 2, 2010 Update

posted: June 25, 2011, 1:50 PM

In the 21 year history of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol we had a Leatherback Turtle come on our beach and lay a nest! She was over 6 feet from flipper to flipper and estimated to be over 900 pounds! She layed 70 eggs with about 30 decoy eggs which is normal for this species. What a rare and wonderful happening!...read more of this article.

2006/2007 Kayak

posted: May 7, 2007, 7:31 PM

A loggerhead sea turtle had been seen struggling off Holden Beach for several days. Turtle Patrol stranding team members were keeping a watchful eye on her and had swam out several times to try to get her to shore but she was still strong enough to dive and swim away. Finally as she grew weaker a team rescue was attempted. Several patrol members and three vacationers went out in kayaks and managed to corral her...read more of this article.

Conjoined Turtle

posted: July 29, 0208, 3:27 PM

July, 2008 Members of the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol found a unique baby among the hatchlings in the first nest that hatched on our beach in July. One of the babies that emerged during the "boil" was a conjoined (or Siamese twin) turtle. It had one shell but two heads. We believe this is the first conjoined turtle to be found in North Carolina. There have been reported incidences of conjoined turtles elsewhere in both...read more of this article.