Sea Turtle Volunteer Program - 2010 Update

So far this 2010 sea turtle nesting season, there has been one loggerhead nest laid in Atlantic Beach. There are more in Pine Knoll Shores and Emerald Isle, so the turtles are active. On June 14^th, a small female loggerhead showed some interesting behavior by nesting during the day in Pine Knoll Shores. This is an unusual sight to see since loggerheads usually nest in the evening.

Photo by Wendy Cluse, Assistant Sea turtle Biologist, NCWRC

This season volunteers are also finding an increase in extremely large holes being dug on the beach. These holes are a safety issue not only for visitors to our beaches, but also turtles. At night a nesting female may fall into one of these holes and be injured or stuck. Please fill in any holes that you dig on the beach before you leave for the day.

Photo by Pat Harms, Atlantic Beach Sea turtle volunteer.

Each summer in Atlantic Beach, and all along Bogue Banks, Sea Turtle Nesting season is from May 1 through October. Of the seven sea turtle species, five are found in NC waters and loggerheads are the most common turtle nesting on NC beaches. These amazing animals need to be protected.

To help protect these endangered animals, NC Wildlife Resources Commission has volunteers that walk the beaches every morning looking for sea turtle crawls that indicate a nest has been laid. The nest is then roped off until it hatches, 50-60 days later. Before the nests hatch, volunteers watch the nests in the evening to help ensure the hatchlings make it to the ocean.

Help protect sea turtle nests by volunteering with the North Carolina Sea Turtle Project. Contact the Atlantic Beach Sea Turtle Volunteer Coordinators:

Heather Broadhurst    heatherlj21@hotmail.com
Michele Lamping        michele.lamping@ncaquariums.com
 

How can you help?
Turn off or shield bright oceanside lights during nesting season so turtles don't get confused when trying to reach the ocean.

When walking the beach at night, use flashlights with a red filter. The red light will not distract or deter the turtles.

Take care of your trash and pick up litter so sea turtles and other animals don't choke or become entangled.

Remove all chairs, umbrellas, cabanas and other obstacles overnight to help provide safe movement for and prevent obstructions to, nesting sea turtles during Summer-Fall nesting season. They may block nesting females and new hatchlings.

Fill in any holes you find dug on the beach. People and nesting females can fall into holes and injure themselves.

Keep your pets and children away from designated nest sites on the beach.

Visit www.seaturtle.org to learn more about sea turtles.


Report any nesting activity or injured and dead turtles you encounter to the NC Wildlife Resources Sea Turtle Assistant Biologist, Wendy Cluse, 252-247-8117, or call the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, 252-247-4003.

• Handbook for Sea Turtle Volunteers in North Carolina

Structures like this can entangle sea turtles and prevent sea turtles from nesting.

 

Loggerhead sea turtle hatchling crawling to water’s edge once nest was excavated, summer 2009.

 

On Tuesday, May 18, 2009 several staff members joined in the release of three sea turtles. "Fletcher" is the one with the transmitter.