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 far from over. About 30% of the nests on the beach have already hatched. The last known nest was laid on July 30. We expect it to hatch the last week in September.

If you see Turtle Patrol members on the beach at a nest, please stop by and ask about that nest. We’re always glad to talk about the turtles. Owen and his sister, Ella, have been visiting nest #20 nightly with their grandmother. Owen is so excited he brought his very own rope to help the Turtle Patrol!

A reminder…if you see a turtle on the beach (a nesting mother, a hatchling or a sick or injured turtle) please call our stranding team at 910- 754-0766. Also, please turn all beach facing lights off, this is especially important when the hatchlings are emerging from the nest as they are easily distracted by bright light and may head to the dunes instead of the ocean.

This year’s official Turtle Patrol t-shirt has been very popular. But they are still available. They can be purchased at Lighthouse Gift Shop and by mail (see the front page of the website). Get them while they are still available.

Go To News Index Page