Ah, yes, it's May and it’s that time of year again on the beach in Emerald Isle and all along the coast of North Carolina—time for the sea turtle nesting and hatching season. It's one of our favorite times of the year as we help these amazing (and absolutely adorable) aquatic reptiles continue their life cycles right on our shoreline. It's such a privilege, as a resident of Emerald Isle to witness and be a part of it all—and the best thing is that you, as a vacationer, can too! If you're vacationing on the NC coast with us from May through October, here's what you need to know about sea turtle nesting and hatching season on the beaches of Emerald Isle and what you can do to help.
As for what you need to know, for starters, it's mainly Loggerhead sea turtles that nest in Emerald Isle, and occasionally Greens, but rarely Leatherbacks or Kemp's Ridley. Loggerhead sea turtles come ashore to nest 3 to 5 times during a nesting year depositing an average of 120 eggs per nest. The eggs then incubate in the sand for about 60 days. After all the hatchlings have pipped out of their eggs, they emerge from the nest together and race to the sea. It's estimated that only 1 in 1000 survives the first year, and as few as 1 in 5,000-10,000 survive to adulthood.
As for what you can do to help, perhaps you have walked out on the deck of your Emerald Isle beach house and decided to take a stroll along the shore. During your walk you notice some flagging tape and a yellow post with a number on it, oftentimes set back near the dunes. What is it, you wonder? It's a protected and viable loggerhead sea turtle nest site. You see, loggerhead sea turtles are a threatened and endangered species, and the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Protection Program tries to locate and protect the nest sites and help the hatchlings return to the surf. The program is comprised of about 80 volunteers who walk the entire 12.5 miles of the Emerald Isle beach early each morning from May 1 through August 31 searching for evidence of sea turtles that may have come ashore during the night to lay their eggs. The 200-350 pound sea turtles leave characteristic crawl marks in the sand up to 40 inches in width.
Once spotted, the volunteer walkers or our volunteer vacation walkers--that’s you--call in their findings, and the program coordinators quickly come to the site to check for the possibility of eggs being present. If eggs are found, the nest site is marked off by flagging and a yellow post with the nest number on it. The incubation period is anywhere from 50-70 days. On about day 50, the volunteers dig a trench about two feet wide and deep to help guide the hatchlings to the ocean. The trenches that are dug help guide the hatchling toward the ocean if the volunteers are not there to assist the hatching. The flagging is extended along the trench. And, here’s where you come in. Steer clear of the trenches and their flags. The exact time when the hatchlings will come out of the nest is unknown, but most turtle hatchlings occur once the sand gets cool and quiet, usually after dusk. Since the hatchlings associate noise and movement as signs of predators, if you come upon a hatchling, stay away about 30 feet. And, if you are witnessing a hatchling, please, no flash photography and no flashlights. That’s because a hatchling will go toward the brightest thing they see whether it is the ocean, or lights on a house or the light on your telephone. So, turn off all unnecessary lights. A hatchling only has enough energy to swim for 4-5 days to make it to the Gulf Stream, which is a distance of 30-50 miles. Distracting it with your artificial light simply makes a difficult task even more challenging.
Three to five days after the first hatchling emerges from the nest site, volunteers conduct an excavation at the nest. Everything is dug up so that the hatched egg shells can be counted, undeveloped eggs can be discovered, and hatchlings that were not strong enough to emerge on their own are released.
So, what if you're visiting us here in Emerald Isle and you happen to stumble upon some sea turtle tracks or spot a sea turtle on the beach? Call the Emerald Isle Police at 252.354.2021. They will notify the volunteers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Since the female turtles crawl onto the beach during the night, the volunteers request that if you see a nesting turtle late at night, please stay back at least 30 feet. Please don't use any flash cameras, flashlights, or cell phone cameras as these items frighten and distract the turtles, which often results in them abandoning the nesting effort. If you want to watch, sit downwind of the turtle and quietly observe. Be prepared to witness an incredible event!
In summary, here are some things you can do to make turtle season more successful:
Fill in all holes you (or your children) dig in the sand. Any holes that are dug in the sand can cause mother turtles to get stuck.
Keep needless outside lights off at night. They disturb nesting mother turtles and distract hatching baby turtles toward the light but away from the ocean, which is where they need to go.
Remove tents, toys, and beach gear overnight. Leaving them out could interfere with the nesting mothers coming ashore and/or the emerging hatchlings' journey to the sea.
Pick up trash. Plastic bags are especially dangerous to sea turtles because they think they are jellyfish (their main food source) and will attempt to eat them (and then get sick).
Fireworks are illegal in North Carolina. The noise keeps the mother turtles from coming on shore to nest and disturbs the baby turtles during hatching.
Call the police (252.354.2021) if you see any sea turtle activity. Remember, if you see a nesting or hatching turtle or anyone disturbing a marked turtle nest, please contact the police.
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