2022 Turtle Season

  • CBTW’s 2023 Green Turtle Nest

    We at Caswell Beach Turtle Watch were very excited earlier this season when we suspected one of our new nests (#66) was a Green Turtle nest (see July 11 post).

    Our suspicions were correct! We were so excited to see the very first hatchling so that we could confirm the status of this nest!  It was a beautiful hatchling!!  Green Turtles have a very distinct markings. The turtles trickled out over a couple of days.  Then the King Tides arrived and the storm was approaching.  We were given permission by NCWRC to emergency excavate emerged nests early (we need this approval for any variance to their standard regulations), so we did so at almost dark on Monday night before the storm hit. 

    We were sad to find that not all of the hatchlings made it out of this special nest due to the heat.  Here is the story of our Green Turtle nest!

  • 2022 Year End Review
    • Crawls
      • 95 Nests (94 Loggerhead, 1 Leatherback)
      • 75 False Crawls
    • Nests
      • 37 Relocated Nests – 38.9%
        • (36 Loggerhead, 1 Leatherback)
      • 3 Wild Nests (#89 Southport, #94 Public Parking, #95 East Point)
      • 58 In Situ Nests
      • 1 Nesting Site (later determined to be a False Crawl)
        • Averaged 113.2 eggs per nest
        • Ranged: 57-152 eggs
      • Leatherback Nest
        • 75 eggs, 35 small yolkless eggs
    • 9590 Eggs
      • 36 Relocated Nests (Does not include the Leatherback Nest)
        • 78.4% Hatch Rate
        • 70.7% Emergence Rate
      • 58 In Situ Nests
        • 80.9% Hatch Rate
        • 78.2 % Emergence Rate
      • 8654 Hatched
      • 8084 Emerged
      • 80.1% Overall Average Hatch Success
    • Incubation Days
      • Average 55.7 Days
      • Range 48-65 Days
        • Earliest: Nest #86
        • Longest: Nest #2
    • Volunteers
      • 119 Volunteers on our list
      • Time and Travel Reported
        • 7,377.5 Hours reported
        • 31,547.0 Miles Driven
  • Winding Down 2022

    Rather than a new post each day, this post will include the remaining activity for the season, listed from latest to earliest.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    • Inventories for last four nests:
      • #90 Inventory
        • Live- 0
        • Dead- 0
        • Pipped- 0
        • Unhatched- 1
        • Hatched Egg Shells- 72
      • #91 Inventory (slightly washed over)
        • Live- 1
        • Dead- 0
        • Pipped- 1
        • Unhatched- 19
        • Hatched Egg Shells- 37
      • #92 Inventory
        • Live- 5
        • Dead- 0
        • Pipped- 0
        • Unhatched- 52 (tidal flooding)
        • Hatched Egg Shells- 10
      • #93 Inventory
        • Live- 0
        • Dead- 0
        • Pipped- 0
        • Unhatched- 20 (beige, undeveloped)
        • Hatched Egg Shells- 46
      • That’s a wrap! We will post DNA and final nest Stats as soon as they are compiled. SOME DNA is coming in now.
    • 9/29/22
      • Wednesday Night:  Chilly and quiet!
        • No activity, WHILE WE WERE OUT…
        • (LuAnn went back to #92 looking for her misplaced phone and thought she saw hatchling tracks.  It was too dark to be sure…)
      • Thursday Morning:
        • BINGO, Nests #91 AND #92 HATCHED!!!  
        • We are so relieved that ALL of our nests have hatched!!!
        • Emergency excavations will be done today on all nests prior to the heavy rains.  Teams are making their decisions as I type.
        • I will send out Inventory results later today.
        • WHEW!
    • 9/28/22
      • Tuesday Night:  Cool, but buggy!  The sunset made it all worth the waiting!
        • No activity at any nest.
      • Wednesday Morning:
        • No activity at  #91 or #92.
        • Nests #90 & #93 had crab holes.
        • Keep those fingers and toes crossed for tonight!!!
    • 9/27/22
      • Monday Night:  Nice and windy.
        • No activity while teams were out.
      • Tuesday Morning:  
        • Nest #93 had some hatchlings emerge overnight.  One was still in the runway when Morning Patrol arrived!  The tracks led straight to the water!
    • 9/26/22
      • Sunday Night:  WINDY!
        • We got a bit sandblasted last night.  
        • Nest #90 had some bumps, but no emergence until after the team had left for the night.  The story of our summer!
      • Monday Morning:
        • Nest #90 had hatchlings emerge overnight.
        • Nests #91, #92, #93 had no activity.
        • We will be keeping a close watch on Hurricane Ian and will be in contact with our State Coordinator as to action towards the end of the week.  Fingers crossed!!!
    • 9/25/22
      •  Saturday Night:  It was clear for the Space X Rocket launch!
        • Teams reported no activity.
      • Sunday Morning: Crisp and Cool!
        • Again, no activity overnight.
    • 9/24/22
      • Friday Night:  BUGGY from 6:00-8:00
        • The tides are no longer threatening our remaining nests. We had many visitors hoping for some activity, but we were all disappointed.  All in good time!
      • Saturday Morning:  Cool and pleasant (no bugs)
        • There was no activity overnight.  
        • Maybe tonight?
    • 9/23/22
      • Thursday Night:  No bugs, but rough waves and higher tides due to Fiona. 
        • The tide washed up the runway of Nest #92, but appeared to just splash over.  The sand was only wet to one inch below the surface. 
        • The rain poured down after the tide receded. 
      • Friday Morning:  The tide was thankfully not as high as last night.  
        • We will have to be on watch early tonight!
        • There was no activity at the nests overnight.
    • 9/22/22
      • Wednesday:
        • Thanks to Lynn Maloney, LuAnn Dummer and Gail Burr for organizing, setting up and manning a Caswell Beach Turtle Watch table at the St. James Environmental Fair!  Lynn, you outdid yourself with all the great handouts and goodies!  
      • Wednesday Night:  
        • BUGGY again!  Seems like we can’t catch a break, but Friday’s cool weather is coming!  
      • Thursday Morning:
        • No hatchling activity this morning 😣
        • Nest #93 had a crab hole at the back right corner pole.
        • Nest #90- Day 57
        • Nest #91- Day 56
        • Nest #92- Day 54
        • Nest #93- Day 52
    • 9/21/22
      • Tuesday Night:
        • Very light breeze and buggy.   The teams at the last 4 nests sat as long as they could!
      • Wednesday Morning:
        • No activity at any nests overnight.
    • 9/20/22
      • Monday  Night:  BUGGY again
      • Nest #82 Inventory
        • Live- 1
        • Dead- 0
        • Pipped- 0
        • Unhatched Eggs-6
        • Hatched Egg Shells- 101
        • Great results!
      • Tuesday Morning:
      • No activity at all.
    • 9/19/22
      • Things are certainly slowing down!  Buggy and quiet last night and overnight.
      • No activity to report this morning.  

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, September 18

    Saturday Night: No Bugs!

    • Nest #78 Inventory (Appreciative and respectful small crowd)
      • Live- 1
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 7
      • Unhatched-16
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 100
      • Some of the unhatched eggs were fully developed, but perished like the pipped. It could have been from tidal ground water or air deprivation.

    Sunday Morning:

    No activity to report.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, September 17

    Friday night: another beautiful evening!

    • Nest #83 Inventory (WOW!)
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 2
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched Eggs- 6
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 145 (You  read that right! And we all missed it!)
    • Nest #87 Inventory (Heavily inundated with roots!)
      • Live- o
      • Dead- 1
      • Pipped- 0 
      • Unhatched Eggs- 36
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 55
      • Pieces- Handful

    Saturday Morning:

    Nest #82 had 1 more hatchling overnight.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, September 15

    Wednesday Night:  Can you say, BUGGY?

    • Nest #81 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 3
      • Pipped- 2
      • Unhatched- 5
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 105

    Thursday Morning:  Cool temps and calm seas!

    No hatchlings emerged overnight.

    Nest #83 had a crab hole.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, September 14

    Tuesday Night:  It was another gorgeous night to sit!

    WOO HOO, Nest #78 hatched (at Day 60) last night!!

    Wednesday Morning: Lots of Stragglers overnight!

    • Nest #78 – +1
    • Nest #84 – +4 or 5
    • Nest #85 – +2
    • Nest $87 – +1 or 2
    • Nest #88 – +1
    • Nest #83 had a crab hole.

    There are only 5 more nests to hatch in the next week or so!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, September 13

    Monday Night:

    • Nest #75 Inventory (looked like water inundation, rain, early in development)
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 1
      • Unhatched- 65 (no development)
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 24
    • Nest #84 had another hatchling track in the runway when the team arrived.
    • Nest #80 had a good emergence.  Some nice visitors had just left, so Marilyn ran to tell them it was hatching.  The visitors were very appreciative!
    • Nest #81 had one more hatchling track in the runway when checked later.

    Tuesday Morning:  The turtles were BUSY while we slept! 

    • Nests #83, #85, #87 and #88 all had LOTS of hatchlings emerge overnight!  
    • Nest #83 was on Day 53
    • Nest #85 was on Day 52
    • Nest #87 was on Day 52
    • Nest #88 was on Day 49 
    • Nest #81 had 7 more hatchling tracks in the runway this morning.

    WOW!

    Nest #78 is on Day 59 and has had no evidence of emergence, yet.  😣

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, September 12

    Sunday Night: Pleasant night with a great breeze and a beautiful moon!

    No action to report while teams were out.

    Monday Morning:

    Nest #81 had a few more hatchlings tracks in the runway.

    Nest #84 had a crab induced hatchling in the runway.  The crab was chased away and the hatchling made it to the water.

    The tides are at a safe distance, so runways can be extended again. Now we can relax and enjoy the evenings out there!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, September 11

    Saturday Night:  Beautiful, but buggy.

    Nest #81 had some hatchlings emerge just before 9:00 with a nice group of visitors who were smitten! They then counted down and waited for the Space-X Rocket.  It was a cool sight to see!  It looked like the Rocket Booster fell right on top of Bald Head, but we know it was out to sea.

    Sunday Morning:

    Nests #74, #76 and #79 inventory areas were dug into by crabs.  Some egg shells were removed.

    Nest #84 appears to have had some hatchlings emerge.  The wet sand in the runway prevents us from knowing just how many.  

    Nest #88 has an indention at day 47.  Team 7 has had several nests start the hatching process early this season!

    The tide did get pretty high again last night, but I think we were all in the clear.  Thank you for all attempts to watch and try to prevent water damage!

    12 more nests to go!  Have a great day!

    And also, let’s remember this day – 21 years ago

    A portrait of the Twin Towers in NYC made with the faces of the victims of the 9/11 attacks

  • Saturday, September 10

    Friday Night:

    Thanks for hanging out at the nests during the incoming high tide!  The visitors voiced many thanks for all we were doing!

    • Nest #72 Inventory (Excavated 1 day early due to predicted rains)
      • Live- 4
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 40
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 90
    #72 Inventory
    • Nest #74 Inventory  (Excavated 1 day early due to predicted rains)
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 3
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 113
    • Nest #76 Inventory (Excavated on time)
      • Live- 1
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 1
      • Unhatched- 13
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 103
      • Pieces- handful
    • Nest #79 Inventory  (Excavated 1 day early due to predicted rains)
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 1 
      • Pipped- 0 
      • Unhatched- 8
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 120

    Nest #86 hatched after a rain shower! It was on Day 48!  Jacob and other Fishermen reported that the hatchlings made it to the water.  The nest was immediately excavated because of overwash and predicted flooding rains coming.

    • Nest #86 Inventory
      • Live- 16
      • Dead- 17 (most likely due to the overwash)
      • Pipped- 1
      • Unhatched- 3
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 82
      • Pieces- less than a handful

    Saturday morning: 

    Morning Patrol continued with their walking brigade for one more day due to the tide.

    All nests were clear and had not been washed over last night.

    There were no hatchling emergences overnight.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, September 9

    Thursday Night:

    The higher than normal tide, almost full moon and Hurricane Earl made for a ‘Perfect Storm’ event. Last night’s tide was higher than some of our King Tides. We had enormous help from the community last night reporting over washes and collecting washed away green! Thanks to all the Turtle Ambassadors!!! Unfortunately, tonight is supposed to be a bit higher.

    5 nests were slightly over washed (#78, #83, #86, #91 & #92), but hopefully will be ok. They have not hatched yet, so we could not excavate.

    2 nests had their scheduled excavations as the water was covering the nest or in the runway. 1 other nest that had hatched was emergency excavated with approval by the State. Water had reached the nest. All had excellent stats!

    • NEST #66 INVENTORY (72+ hours)
      • Live: 0
      • Dead: 0
      • Pipped: 1
      • Unhatched: 5
      • Hatched Shells: 85
    • NEST #77 INVENTORY (72+ hours)
      • Live: 4
      • Dead: 0
      • Pipped: 4
      • Unhatched: 13
      • Hatched Shells: 94
      • Pieces: handful
    • NEST #70 INVENTORY (Emergency)
      • Live: 0
      • Dead: 0
      • Pipped:: 0
      • Unhatched: 4
      • Hatched Shells: 100
    • Pieces: handful

    Friday Morning:

    We had to do a walking brigade today (because of the incoming tide) to check on the nests.

    There were no hatchling emergences overnight.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • September 8th – Addendum

    We have been accused of lying to visitors about a nest that had a crab hole on the morning of 9/6. An announcement was made by a non-permitted group that the nest had an indention. The visitors came to the nest that evening and were told the truth. The place that was indented was where the crab hole was. The team sat with that nest until very late and went home when nothing happened.

    Sometime during the night the nest hatched. The place where the turtles emerged was inches in front of the crab hole indention.

    We are very discouraged by the accusations that were made. We do not know when a nest is going to hatch and would not send anyone away from sitting with us.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, September 8

    Wednesday Night:  Rainy periods with lightning and a water spout over the ocean.

    Nest #76 had one more hatchling emerge while the team was sitting.

    Thursday Morning:  Cool, but biting flies were present!

    There was no evidence of hatchling emergence overnight.  There were rain drops of course.

    Nest #76 had a crab hole and one shell had been removed.

    Nest #86 had a crab hole which indented the center of the nest.  It is only on Day 47, so it is doubtful that turtles are ready to emerge.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, September 7

    Tuesday Night: Cool and quiet night!

    • NEST #63 Inventory
      • Live: 2
      • Dead: 0
      • Pipped: 0
      • Unhatched: 4
      • Hatched Shells: 114
      • Pieces: just a few

    Nest #74 (Day 57) had hatchlings emerge between 8:45-9:00.  They very quickly headed to the water!

    Wednesday Morning;

    WOW!  They waited for everyone to go home and BOOM, 3 more nests hatched! 

    Nests #70 (Day 58) , #72 (Day 58) and #79 (Day 52) had hatchlings emerge overnight.  Unfortunately, #79’s hatchlings were very disoriented after they left the runway 😢

    Nest #74 had 1 more hatchling overnight.

    Whew!!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, September 6

    Monday Night:  It was a pleasant night out there!

    • Nest #64 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched Eggs- 6
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 77
      • Pieces- 3 handfuls
    • Nest #67 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched Eggs- 3
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 90
      • Pieces- 1 handful
    • Nest #71 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched Eggs- 1
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 81
      • Pieces- Just a few
    • Nest #76 had hatchlings emerge (Day 53) at 9:43 pm heading straight for the water!  

    Tuesday Morning: very quiet and peaceful!

    Nest #77 had a few more hatchlings emerge overnight.

    Nest # 72 had crab activity again.

    Thank you again for your hard work and commitment!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, September 5

    Happy Labor Day!  Hope you are able to relax from your labors!

    Sunday Night:

    It was quiet with a nice light breeze and a beautiful moon later in the evening.  We had a lot of nice visitors at the nests east of the Lighthouse.  They didn’t get to see anything, but they were educated on the turtles and our program!

    Monday Morning:

    Nests #66 (Day 59) and #77(Day 52) both had turtles emerge overnight.  Nest #66 had no indications of activity last night and Nest #77 had had a crater for a few days.

    Nests #72 and #74 both had crab holes.

    20 more nests left to hatch!!!  Hang in there!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, September 4

    Saturday Night:

    • Nest #59 Inventory (We had a large and respectful crowd!)
      • Live- 3
      • Dead-3
      • Pipped – 3
      • Unhatched- 5
      • Hatched Egg Shells-91

    Nest #63 had one more very late arrival.

    A fisherman on the Ft. Caswell fishing pier found a hatchling in the river current.  He very smartly took it to the ocean side beach and released it!  That is the 4th hatchling spotted from that pier in 3 nights.  We have no idea where they are coming from as we have checked our river beach.  I may have to take another walk today, just to make sure! 😀

    Sunday Morning:

    It was quiet overnight except for the crabs. 😣

    Nests #67, #71, #76 and #77 all had crab holes!

    Hoping the breeze picks up a little more and the bugs go far away tonight! 

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, September 3

    Friday Night (Buggy again!):

    Nests #71 and #63 both had hatchlings emerge with teams and visitors braving the bugs to cheer them on!

    Saturday Morning:

    Nests #59, #64, #69 & #73 had additional hatchling tracks in the runways this morning.

    • Nest #69 Inventory
      • Live- 16
      • Dead- 1
      • Pipped- 4
      • Unhatched- 3
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 120
    • Nest #73 Inventory
      • Live- 13 (3 were Pipped Live)
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 13
      • Unhatched- 12
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 100
      • The pipped live and dead had thick yellow goop still inside the egg shells.  1 had maggots.  The 3 pipped live were rinsed off with sea water and put on the sand to crawl to the ocean.  Very strange situation!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, September 2

    Thursday Night:

    Nest #67 had hatchlings emerge at a very fast pace!

    3 hatchlings were seen in the current at the Ft. Caswell Pier.  The beach was checked and no nest was found.  The tide was coming in, so they could have washed in from Bald Head or from Nests #67.  Tough break!

    Friday Morning:

    Nest #59 had lots of crab activity and 1 head hatchling.

    Nest #64 had a few more tracks in the runway.

    Nest #69 had a large crab hole.

    Nest #77 still just has a small depression.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, September 1

    Wednesday Night:

    Nice night out there last night!

    Team 5 called about finding Nest #77 with a drop and small crater.  IT WAS ONLY ON DAY 47!!!  They helped out Team 7 by adding the green, just in case and keeping an eye on it for a while.  Whew!  Thanks Team 5!

    Team 9 assisted members of the Sea Biscuit team in the rescue of an ill juvenile pelican.  Poor thing was very leery of getting some assistance.  Brian had to climb the cedar tree and lure it with some fish!  Way to go, Team 9! 

    Thursday Morning:

    Quiet and still this morning with calm waters!

    #64 had 2 hatchlings emerge overnight.

    #69 had 2 crab holes.

    #73 had a big crab hole.

    #77 had not changed overnight.

    Green has been delivered up to the high 80’s.  Since Nest #77 has a small crater, we should consider greening all nests in the 70’s today or tomorrow.

    Thank you again for your commitment to our turtles!  These overlapping nests are tough!  There are 25 unhatched nests at this time. 

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, August 31

    Tuesday Night (Yay, no bugs!)

    • Nest #65 Inventory (remaining hatchlings were stuck under heavy, wet sand.  4 were live pipped which emerged once they were brought out to the surface.)
      • Live- 28
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped-7
      • Unhatched- 1
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 97
      • Pieces- 3 handfuls
    • Matthew Godfrey gave special permission for Nest #68 to be excavated early due to large, open hole and heavy rains.  It was definitely the right call!  The remaining hatchlings were stuck under heavy, wet sand and sadly 9 had already perished.
    • Nest #68 Inventory
      • Live- 22
      • Dead- 9
      • Pipped- 4
      • Unhatched- 8
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 78
      • Pieces- 1 handful
    • Nest #69 had hatchlings emerge at about 9:10 pm.  At least 1/2 were very disoriented with no obvious light source.

    Wednesday Morning:

    • Nest #59 FINALLY had hatchlings emerge overnight at Day 60! Unfortunately, there was also crab activity.
    • Nest #73 had hatchlings emerge overnight at Day 50!  Unfortunately, there was also crab activity and 1 head hatchling in the runway.
    • Nest #69 had 3 crab holes.
    • Nest #64 had 1 big crab hole.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, August 30
    Monday Night:

    Nest #58 Inventory
    Live- 0
    Dead- 0
    Pipped- 0
    Unhatched- 4
    Hatched Egg Shells- 106
    Pieces- handful
    Nest #61 Inventory
    Live- 6
    Dead- 0
    Pipped- 2
    Unhatched- 2
    Hatched Egg Shells- 106
    There was activity at Nest #59 with a nice crowd, but now we think it was a crab.

    Tuesday Morning:

    Crabs were active last night in Nests #59, #68 and an excavated nest area.
    Another excavated nest was dug up by a canine (probably coyote). 
    No evidence of emergence at any nest overnight.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, August 29

    Sunday Night:

    Nest #68 had hatchlings emerge between 8:45-9:30.  

    Monday Morning:

    Nest #59 had 2 crab holes.

    Nest #62 was dug up by a canine and crabs

    Nest #64 had a crab hole.

    Nest #65 had at least 1 more hatchling track.

    Nest #68 had 2 crab holes

    Nest #69 had a canine (small paws) dig into the nest, did not reach the eggs.

    Nest #73 has cracks in the dip.

    Nest #77 has a SLIGHT dip.

    Nest #85 had a crab hole in the center.

    Tom and Barb came out this morning after the canine excavated part of Nest #62.  Their Inventory was scheduled for tonight, but they went ahead and completed what the canine started.  

    • Nest #62 Inventory
      • Live- 1
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 2
      • Unhatched- 17
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 86
      • Pieces- 2 handfuls

    We are putting a wire square over Nest #69 today because of the digging up.  If you have a large hole or crater and think wire is needed, just let us know.  

    *If your nest is hatching and you have folks walking with flashlights shining, please nicely ask them to turn them off.  If your nest is not hatching, then we should let them be.  If they shine their lights at you, then nicely let them know you are sitting at a turtle nest and the area needs to be dark in case of emergence.  

    *Shark fishing with bait/chum and bright lights was happening a lot during the weekend.  Martha spoke to the fishermen both nights, explaining the nests were nearby. The men were very nice and understood her concerns and stopped fishing.  There are no State or Local restrictions against shark fishing from our beach.  I have made our concerns known to Matthew and Joe at Caswell Beach.

    *BUGS, BUGS and more BUGS!  If anyone has a remedy that really works, please let us all know!  None of the natural products or OFF type products I’ve tried have worked.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, August 28

    Saturday Night:

    • Nest #55 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 4
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 92
    • Nest #57 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched-18
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 120
    • Nest #65 had several hatchlings emerge during the heat of the day.  Sadly, 3 did not survive.
    • Nest #62 had 1 lone hatchling emerge at 9pm.

    Sunday Morning:

    • #58 – crab hole
    • #59 – hole, crab hole
    • #61 – had more hatchling tracks
    • #62 – 1 more hatchling track, crab hole
    • #64 – crater
    • #65 – a few more hatchling tracks
    • #68 – still has a big hole, poles down, dog tracks
    • #69 – large hole, crab hole
    • #73 – small indentation 

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, August 27
    • Nest #52 Inventory
      • Live- 1
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 3
      • Unhatched- 2
      • Hatched Egg Shells-116
    • Nest #53 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 1
      • Unhatched- 7
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 94
      • Pieces- Handful

    Saturday Morning:

    • Nest #56 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 6
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 98
      • Pieces- 2 handfuls

    There were no nest emergences overnight.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, August 26

    Lots of action last night!

    • Nest #54 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 1
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 64 (some beige, some white)
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 75
      • Pieces- handful
    • Nest #60 Inventory (relocated from Southport)
      • Live- 9
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 4
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 86
    • Nest #58 hatched during the pouring rain and bugs biting with Team 5 observing.  That’s dedication!
    • Nest# 62 had hatchlings emerge at about 10:45.  Visitors from Ohio, Cory, Lil, Craig and Talley called Team 6.  They did a fabulous job of seeing the turtles to the water!  
    • Friday Morning:
      • Nest #58 had 1 more hatchling emerge with MP and a family observing.
      • Nest #61 had hatchling tracks in the runway.  The raindrops made it hard to determine a number!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, August 25

    It was a quiet and buggy night last night.  No boils were observed and there were no hatchling emergences overnight.

    Quiet, calm and very still out this morning. 

    Nests #54, #60 and #61 had big crab holes.

    Nest #65 had a big drop for Day 48!  We may want to make sure all nests in the 60’s have at least a collar up just in case.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, August 24

    Nests #56 & #57 both hatched overnight.  Both teams saw no evidence of activity before they left for the night. Sneaky turtles!  One little one was found in the grass above #57.  Brian saw her (?) to the water.  Thanks, Brian!

    Nests #54, #61 & #62 had big crab holes.

    Nest #55 had a depression.

    We are on the down-swing with about 35 more nests incubating!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, August 23

    Monday night was a busy night in the light rain!

    • Nest #45 Inventory
      • Live- 1
      • Dead- o
      • Pipped- 0 
      • Unhatched- 3
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 84
    • Nest #49 Inventory
      • Live- 4
      • Dead- 5
      • Pipped- 2
      • Unhatched- 1
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 82
    • Nest #50 Inventory
      • Live- 39
      • Dead- 4
      • Pipped- 19 (the rain made it hard to get out)
      • Unhatched- 5
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 87
    • Nest #51 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 37
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 76

    Nest #52 had hatchlings emerge at 10:20 pm with the last one making it to the water at 11:25.  They were very disoriented!

    Nest #53 had evidence of possible emergence overnight.

    Unfortunately, crabs decided to perform early excavations of #53, #54 and #60!  Eggshells were put back into the nests and crab holes covered up.

    A Coyote visited the Nest #49 Excavation area, dug a bit, but did not reach the eggs.  We know it was a Coyote because he left his calling card (Scat).

    BIG NEWS:  Nest #95 was discovered at the East Point as it was boiling!  We  are grateful to the former OKI Turtle Volunteer who happened upon the boil last night!!!  Kathleen, Theresa and LuAnn searched for over an hour to find the exact location so an emergency excavation could be done.  The nest was in some very thick and tall dune grass.  Mama hid those eggs well!  It was near some false crawl locations, but could not  be determined to be from one of those, so it is marked as an undetected nest.

    • Nest #95 Inventory
      • Live- 2
      • Dead- 1
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 2
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 92

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    Here are the pictures for the Wild Nest #95:

  • Monday, August 22

    Sunday to Monday Morning:

    Nest #54 appears to have hatched during the night. Tracks could be seen in the runway.

    Nests #55, #60 and #62 have depressions or craters.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, August 20

    Friday:

    • Nest #42 Inventory
      • Live- 6
      • Dead- 1
      • Pipped- 2
      • Unhatched- 10
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 127
    • Nest #46 Inventory
      • Live- 23 (trapped under wet sand, egg shells and LOTS of roots)
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 2
      • Unhatched- 18
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 90
    • Nests #45 and #51 hatched last night.

    Saturday Morning:

    Nest #50 had hatchlings emerge overnight with lots of tracks.  Sadly, 3 hatchlings were attacked by crabs.

    Nest #73 (Yes, you saw that right!) has a small dip and an oval crack.  It is on Day 39.  It could be from the rain, but MP dropped off green just in case something happens in the next several days. Our earliest incubation on record was Day 44. 

    Greening by Day 50 should be the norm at this time for sure! 

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, August 19

    *Perk to sitting at a nest:  The sunsets are amazing!

    Thursday Night:

    • Nest #43 Inventory
      • Live- 10
      • Dead- 1
      • Pipped- 4
      • Unhatched- 1
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 93
      • Pieces- 2 handfuls
    • Nest #48 Inventory
      • Live- 10
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 1
      • Unhatched- 0
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 114
    • Nest #47 13 more hatchlings.
    • Nest #49 had a first emergence of 57 hatchlings.
    • Many of our nests are showing signs of activity (pipping out of their shells underneath) with emergences happening a few days later.

    Friday Morning:  RAIN (Thanks to Teresa and Joy for patrolling)

    Nest #49 had more turtle tracks and 1 hatchling being attacked by a crab.  Turtle was saved and released!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, August 18

    Special thanks to Turtle Ambassadors Tom and Mary who watched a hatchling from Nest #42 make it safely to the water late last night! They also filled in 2 big motes near the Villas! We appreciate all our beach visitors do to help us protect our turtles!

    Many Volunteers and visitors toughed it out in the light rain last night! Thanks for your dedication! The bugs came out in great force and sent many more home. No need to suffer!!!!

    It was a very calm and quiet morning out there with a light breeze and flat water.

    Nests #46 & #47 both had more hatchlings emerge overnight.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, August 17

    Tuesday Night:

    We had a call about a hatchling in the marsh in Southport!  Thanks to the Turtle Ambassadors who helped us retrieve it!  The area was surveyed and no additional hatchlings or nest areas were found. We did have some false crawls not too far away that were surveyed by our patrol team from The Landing last night and this morning.  Nothing was found.  We have a mystery!

    • Nest #39 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 3
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 72
      • + Pieces
    • Nest #47 had hatchlings emerge last night. We thought they might have emerged during the storm Monday night, but no!

    Tuesday Morning:

    Several nests still have depressions with no evidence of emergence, yet.

    • Nest #40 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 5
      • Unhatched- 0
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 110
      • Some pieces

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

    Nest #40 Inventory
    Nest #40 Inventory
  • Tuesday, August 16

    That RAIN!!!  It was not possible to determine how many nests may have hatched last night.  I will be conferring with Matthew Godfrey about possibilities.

    Monday Night:

    • Nest #37 Inventory
      • Live- 9
      • Dead- 7
      • Pipped- 1
      • Unhatched- 4
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 112
    • Nest #41 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 3
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 92
      • Pieces- Handful

    Tuesday Morning:

    • Nest #38 Inventory
      • Live- 2
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 2
      • Unhatched- 78
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 60
      • This was a relocated nest with 152 eggs.  Large nests tend to not have a good % of hatching success.
    • Nest #42 had an emergence as 3 live hatchlings were still in the runway this morning along with 1 dead hatchling.
    • Nests #44, #46, #47 & #49  all had large indentations and/or holes.  No hatchling tracks could be determined.
    • Nests #40 & #48 had crab holes.
    • Nest #42 had 3 holes, 1 was for sure a crab.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, August 15

    Nests #43 & #48 boiled overnight last night at some point after the teams left (of course).  Nest #48 was on Day 49/50 depending on when it hatched.  Team 3 did get to see 1 hatchling emerge at about 8:30 pm.  There were several small groups of visitors who were able to watch it make it’s way to the water!

    We inventoried Nest #9 at about 7:30 this morning.

    Sadly, it was as we feared.  No eggs had any evidence of development.  All were liquid with yolks. The eggs were also very thin and easily broken when picked up.  It will be interesting to receive the DNA information and know if our Mama is the same Mama as the other nests in NC!  We hope Mama learns what she needs to know about reproduction and comes back to see us in the future!!!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, August 14
    • Saturday Night:
    • Lots of sitting without any progress last night!  I hope the bugs didn’t feast on you!
      • Nest #36 Inventory
        • Live- 1
        • Dead- 6
        • Pipped-1
        • Unhatched- 4
        • Hatched Egg Shells- 116
    • Sunday Morning:
      • Nest #48 (DAY 49) has a crater!  Thank goodness Team 3 greened early!  Beach visitors (now Turtle Ambassadors, Linda and Mike) stayed up all night watching the nest.  Hope it hatches tonight!
      • Nest #37 had 1 more hatchling track (the lone hatchling was reported to our phone in wee hours).
      • Nest #41 has a little circular crack near the center.
      • Crab holes in Nests #38, #40, #42, #43

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Saturday, August 13

    Friday:

    • Nest #32 Inventory
      • Live- 2
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0 
      • Unhatched Eggs- 3
      • Hatched Eggs- 102
    • Nest #33 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0 
      • Unhatched Eggs- 5
      • Hatched Eggs- 108
    • Nest #41 boiled at 7:30pm with 91 hatchlings running to the water within 10 minutes!

    Saturday Morning:

    • Nest #38 has a big drop and some faint tracks.
    • Nest #40 had a crab hole.
    • Nest #41 had a crab.
    • Nest #44 had a splash over during high tide.
    • Nests #51 & #51 have blown over runways.

    The temps are much more pleasant for sitting tonight!  Thanks for all you are doing!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, August 12

    WOW!  What a morning!

    No new crawls, but LOTS of wind and sand!  Please check your runways, many are FULL!

    Thursday Night:

    • Nest #30 Inventory (in the light rain)
      • Live- 4
      • Dead- 5
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 8
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 119
      • Lots of excited families!!!

    Friday Morning:

    • Nest #37 had some hatchlings emerge overnight and THEN 24 more came out at 7:00 with a very sweet lady watching with Morning Patrol!  She has been trying for 10 years to see a boil!  Pictures attached, Video to come later!
    • Nest #40 had a large depression and 1 hatchling track.
    • Nest #43 had a deep depression with cracks.
    • Nest #39 had a small depression behind the center of the nest, possibly crab activity.
    • Nest #41 had a large crab hole.
    • Nest #32 was dug into and poles knocked down by a 4 pawed animal!  The animal did not reach the eggshells.  Lots of paw prints.

    We are supposed to get heavy rains today.  I know we need it! Remember that turtles can be sneaky in the rain!

    #37 after overnight emergence, but before the morning boil of 24

    During morning boil

  • Thursday, August 11

    No new crawls and no new emergences.

    The moon was beautiful last night, though!

    • Nest #28 Inventory
      • Live- 2
      • Dead- 3
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 17
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 90
    • Nest #35 Inventory
      • Live- 2
      • Dead- 3
      • Pipped- 2
      • Unhatched- 20
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 90

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, August 10

    TUESDAY NIGHT:

    • Nest #27 Inventory
      • Live- 3
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 55
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 86
      • A few pieces
      • One sweet hatchling had a deformed right rear flipper.  He/she had a lot of spunk and made it to the water without any problems!  Future Multi-Pit??
    • Nest #34 Inventory
      • Live- 1
      • Dead- 0
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 3
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 117
      • Nest #32 had 90 hatchlings last night!
      • Nest #31 had 1 more hatchling while it was light enough to see!

    WEDNESDAY MORNING:

    • High winds, but no crawls
    • Nest #36 hatched overnight with lots of tracks.
    • Nests #31 & #35 had large crab holes.
    • Green has been delivered through Nest #49.  Probably a good idea to green earlier, Day 50, to be safe.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    The first picture here is the crawl from the deformed flipper hatchling.  The second is from another hatchling.

    • Nest #31 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 1
      • Pipped- 0
      • Unhatched- 7
      • Hatched Egg Shells-110
  • Tuesday, August 9

    No new nests or crawls.

    I neglected to report that Nest #30 had 6 emerge Sunday night and there were more tracks in the runway Monday morning.

    Monday Night/Tuesday Morning

    Nest #33 had a nice indention and many hatchling tracks in the runway.

    Nest #34 had 1 more hatchling track in the runway.

    Nests #27, #30, #31, #32, #35 all had crab holes.

    Unfortunately, the remnants of Nests #22 & #24 were dug up by a 4 pawed animal.  

    There have been many, many dog prints on and around our nests this summer.  I have shared my concerns with our new Town Manager and he will be addressing the issue.

    Things are really hoping now! 

    Thank you for your long hours and dedication!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    • Nest #29 Inventory
      • Live- 2
      • Dead- 0
      • Unhatched – 39
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 90
  • Monday, August 8

    Unfortunately, today was a day (or last night was a night) for crab activity.

    No new nests or false crawls.

    SUNDAY NIGHT:

    • Nest #25 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 2
      • Pipped- 1
      • Unhatched- 6
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 109
      • Pieces- Handful
    • Nest #26 Inventory
      • Live- 4
      • Dead- 1
      • Pipped- 7
      • Unhatched- 1
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 103
      • Pieces- Handful

    MONDAY MORNING:

    • Nest #28 had 1 more hatchling track 
    • Nest #29 had a small crab hole
    • Nest #30 had a large crab hole
    • Nest #31 had a large crab hole and 2 dead hatchlings
    • Nest #32 had a large crab hole and 1 hatchling track
    • Nest #34 had more hatchling tracks
    • Nest #35 had a large crab hole and 1 dead hatchling
    • Nest #39 had a small crab hole
    • Nest #75 had human footprints around and ON TOP of the nest

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, August 7

    No new crawls this morning.

    Saturday  Night

    • Nests #28 and #35 all had first emergences.
    • Nest #27 had 2 more emerge.

    Sunday Morning

    • Nest # 27 had several more hatchling tracks.
    • Nest #31 had a first emergence with several hatchling tracks.
    • Nest #35 had two more hatchlings in the runway when Morning Patrol arrived.  Kathleen fought off a crab who was going after 1 hatchling!
    • Nests #29, #31 had large crab holes.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Saturday, August 6

    Happy Saturday!  Lots to report today!!  

    No new crawls, but we found a “Wild Nest” thanks for Susan’s Eagle Eyes at the Public Parking area.  It was originally marked as a false crawl on June 5th.  A dead hatchling was reported near there yesterday (150 yards west), but no other hatchling tracks were found there.  We checked the false crawl records and went back to dig this morning.  BINGO, Nest #94 and 1 live hatchling was found.  He was extremely grateful to be released as he was trapped under 119 egg shells and 7 unhatched eggs!

    FRIDAY NIGHT:

    • Nest #20 Inventory
      • Live- 2 (1 had difficulty swimming, he just wanted to float)
      • Dead- 0
      • Unhatched- 90
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 75
      • Interesting outcome for 165 eggs!!!  Large nests tend not to do so well %-wise.
    • Nest #22 Inventory
      • Live- 2
      • Dead- 8 (Crab activity)
      • Pipped- 3
      • Unhatched- 2
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 102
      • This nest trickled before it boiled.
    • Nest #23 Inventory
      • Live- 0
      • Dead- 0
      • Unhatched-6
      • Hatched Egg Shells-92
      • Pieces-handful
      • 98 hatchlings were seen from this nest, so some of those pieces add up to 6 shells.
    • More on Friday Night Happenings
      • Nest #27 boiled with 43 hatchlings
      • Nest #34 boiled with 100 hatchlings
      • Nest #29 had 2 hatchlings emerge. 
      • Team 9 would like to thank Team 4 for stepping in and taking charge of Nest #29 as Team 9’s other nest, #27, was boiling!  THANKS TEAM 4!!!!!  You  guys are awesome!

    SATURDAY MORNING:

    • Nest #34 had a few more hatchlings emerge overnight
    • Nest #75 had a crab hole with 1 eggshell removed + a hump that looked like a mole tunnel.
    • Nest #94 Emergency Inventory (Wild Nest)
      • Live- 1
      • Dead- 0
      • Unhatched- 7
      • Hatched Egg Shells-119
      • Woo Hoo!!

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

    #20 Inventory
    #20 Inventory
  • Friday, August 5

    Again, no new nests or false crawls this morning.  Is this the end of laying?  We shall  see!

    • Nest #29 Hatched with 85 late last night.  Our loyal supporters, the Kos Family, went back out after midnight and were able to save 1 more hatchling from a crab attack!  
    • Nests #22 and #26 had more hatchings emerge overnight.
    • Nests #34 had a deep hole with lots of roots exposed.
    • Nest #35 has an indention that is getting deeper.
    • Nests #22, #25, #27 and #34 had crab activity.

    Last Night’s Inventories:

    • Nest #21 Inventory
      • Live-2
      • Dead-3 (possible crab attack)
      • Unhatched Eggs-11
      • Hatched Egg Shells-117
      • They had a very nice crowd of observers
    • Nest #89 Inventory (relocated eggs from wild nest in Southport)
      • Live-0
      • Dead-1 (possible crab attack)
      • Unhatched Eggs-7
      • Hatched Egg Shells-7 (6 additional made it to the water that might not have!!)

    Thanks for all the hard work you’ve done this last week!  Unfortunately, we are just getting rolling!  26 nests have hatched out of 93.  Please communicate with your Team Leaders and let them know when you are not available.

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Thursday, August 4

    No new nests or false crawls. 

    Nest #22 had several more hatchlings last night.

    Nest #25 hatched with a perfect boil of a 100-102 hatchlings!

    OKI excavated their Leatherback nest this morning.  They had a crowd of over 200.

    Sadly, none of the eggs hatched.  Laid to early in season?  Not fertilized?  Young mama,?  We will wait to hear what the state has to say.  Unfortunately, the same could happen to ours.

    Susan got some pictures!

    Just got word that Nest #26 also hatched last night!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, August 3

    We had 1 false crawl today.  They almost missed it because she came in and out right over a mid-beach escarpment!  No new nests.

    Nests #12 and #22 had a couple more hatchlings emerge.

    Nest #16 Inventory

    • Live- 0
    • Dead- 0
    • Pipped- 0
    • Unhatched Eggs- 14
    • Hatched Egg Shells- 94

    Nest #19 Inventory

    • Live- 1
    • Dead- 0
    • Pipped- 0
    • Unhatched Eggs- 92
    • Hatched Egg Shells- 12
    • This nest was overwashed early in incubation by the first King TIde.  The Team knew of 6 that emerged. They are thrilled there were an additional 6 more!

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Tuesday, August 2

    LOTS of action to report today!!!

    Nest #15 Inventory

    • Live- 0
    • Dead- 0
    • Unhatched- 22
    • Hatched Egg Shells- 92
    • Shredded Pieces- LOTS
    • This was a relocated nest of 152 Eggs, so those shreds were from about 38 eggs.

    While this was happening, Nest #89 (the 16 relocated possibly viable eggs from the Wild nest at Southport) started activity.  We had placed it right next to #15 for easy monitoring.  5 hatchlings emerged a bit later!!!

    At the SAME time as above, Nest #20 started hatching!  Many beach visitors and families were treated to a dusk boil.  Tim Harrison got some great video!

    Just a bit later we got a call about Nest #22 hatching.  Turtle Ambassadors from Greensboro helped get out more green and watched hatchlings for safety!  We were able to help about 46 hatchlings get to the water.  4 more came out a little later and there were more tracks in the runway this morning as well as 3 more hatchlings!

    THEN, Nest #23 hatched with 98 hatchlings!  They had several disoriented, but all made it to the water. There was 1 more track in the runway this morning.

    WHEW!

    This morning was a little quieter.  No new nests and no false crawls.

    Nest #12  had 1 hatchling track!!! This is the nest that had an animal dig out 33 eggs and had been overwashed at least once.  

    Nest #21 had 1 hatchling on his back in the runway.  Poor guy!  He was released!

    Get ready, our evenings are getting busier!!!

    Thanks for all you are doing to help our Turtles!

    Jamie

    Tim’s Videos:

    Pictures of Nest #20 attached

    Nest #15 Inventory 

    Forgot to mention, Team 8 thought they found a wild nest as they were setting up distance poles!  They did a great job digging it up and sorting the eggs.  Turns out it was an old nest from last year, but it was still exciting!  Thanks for your diligence, Team 8!

    Some hatchlings from Nest #87.

    This is truly amazing!

    Nest #18 Inventory

    • Live- 3
    • Dead- 0
    • Unhatched- 11
    • Hatched Egg Shells- 97

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Nesting Guidelines for Visitors

    We have added the following to our Forms and Documents page:

    Recent events have prompted us to make the following statements. If you see a perimeter (stakes/rope) set up by CBTW volunteers on the beach, that perimeter must be respected during all nest activities, hatchings, or excavations. There should not be any persons or dogs inside perimeters except CBTW volunteers. Please stay outside the perimeter and do not walk in the runways. If you are walking on the beach at night, please do not shine your flashlights towards turtle nests, runways or in the faces of our volunteers. Keep the lights pointed towards the wet sand. We do not want to stop your family fun of ghost crab hunting, but we do need to keep our turtle areas safe from distraction.
    If you see activity at a nest, PLEASE CALL US! Again, turn off all lights (white or red) and do not use flash photography! We will advise you on what needs to be done until a permitted volunteer arrives. IT IS NEVER OK FOR ANYONE TO DIG INTO A NEST!
    If you see a hatchling on the beach (washed back from the ocean or wandering in the wrong direction), PLEASE CALL US! Again, turn off all lights (white or red) and do not use flash photography! We will advise you on what needs to be done until a permitted volunteer arrives.
    If you see a Mama Turtle on the beach at night, PLEASE CALL US, turn off all lights (white or red) and do not use flash photography! Your lights will cause her to be disoriented or scared so she may not nest. Stay at least 25 feet behind her at all times. Do not walk around her while she is digging! You may watch, but be quiet and respectful of her space. Once she is finished, please stay off the nesting site area. Our Patrol will need to examine the area to be able to locate the nest chamber.
    Per State Guidelines associated with our Permit, nest excavations/hatchling releases will not be shared on social media. If you happen to see any of our CBTW Turtle Teams on the beach, feel free to stop by and join us for the experience!

  • Monday, August 1

    Nest #17 Inventory

    • Live-1
    • Dead-1
    • Pipped Eggs-1
    • Unhatched-41
    • Hatched Egg Shells-80
    • This nest was naturally laid in a dune with thick roots in the nest cavity.  It was very difficult to extract the nest contents!  

    Nest #24 Inventory

    • Live-6
    • Dead-0
    • Pipped-2
    • Unhatched Eggs-14
    • Hatched Egg Shells-81
    • We relocated this nest from Southport and knew there were 109 eggs, so the count is off by 12.  There were lots of shredded egg shell pieces that could not be counted as >50%.
    • Team 0 would like to thank all the volunteers who helped us with the inventory crowd!!!  There was great education happening!

    OVERNIGHT ACTIVITY

    • Nest #21 hatched with lots of tracks
    • Nest #22 had one hatchling emerge, but it was caught by a crab
    • Nest #93 was laid near the high tide line. 66 eggs were relocated to a safer location.  The end of laying season is approaching and clutch sizes are getting smaller!

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Sunday, July 31

    We had 3 false crawls this morning.  1 was obvious, she couldn’t get up the mid-beach escarpment.  The other 2 had apparent human footprints as well as dog prints all around and even on top of the nesting area.  Sadly, these mamas were probably scared off by human curiosity.

    Nest #16 had a large crab hole

    Nest #18 may have had another hatchling and a large crab hole

    Nest #19 had 2 indentions

    Nest #24 had 4 more hatchlings emerge last night , 2 at about 10:00 pm and 2 close to midnight.

    Happy Note: Nest #13 Inventory this morning:

    • Live Hatchlings-0
    • Dead Hatchlings-1
    • Unhatched Eggs-10
    • Hatched Egg Shells-112

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Saturday, July 30

    Last night was another sand blowing, busy night and we had 1 new nest this morning!

    Nest #8 was Inventoried with excited visiting families attending!

    • Live Hatchlings-1
    • Dead Hatchlings-0
    • Unhatched Eggs-13
    • Pipped Eggs-1
    • Hatched Egg Shells-106

    Nest #24 had a sweet lone hatchling appear a little before 8pm.  More than a dozen beach visitors got to see his walk of fame!  This morning there were 3 more hatchling tracks in the runway!

    Nests #16 and #18 had turtles emerge.  Thanks to the Adams family for their help with #18!  Nest #18 also had a few more tracks this morning.

    Nests #15 and #89 (relocated from Southport after excavation on Pebble Beach) each had 1 hatchling track in the runway.

    Nest #92 was laid in some nice soft and dry sand!  It was a pretty crawl!

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Friday, July 29

    It was a quiet morning with no activity, but last night was hopping!!!

    Nest #14 had a nice Inventory with a couple of families in attendance.

    • Live Hatchlings-8
    • Dead Hatchlings-0
    • Unhatched Eggs-3
    • Hatched Egg Shells-111

    Nest #15 boiled with 112 hatchlings within 9 minutes and 2 others later!

    Nest #17 had a few come out earlier in the week and 78 hatchlings within about 30 minutes last night around 10pm.

    Nest #19 had 1 more emerge last night. 

    Nest #24 had 11 more hatchlings emerge last night with a few dozen respectful observers.

    The sand is still blowing like crazy, especially in the evenings, causing havoc with our runways and nest tops.  Sure hope that calms down soon!  Teresa and I will be spending more and more time at Nest #9 (Day 64) now until it hatches. OKI’s Leatherback has not hatched yet and they are on Day 74! 

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Thursday, July 28

    The action is picking up!

    Nests #13, #17, #19 and #24 had hatchlings emerge in varying numbers last night. Nest #13 hatched while it was still light enough to actually see the hatchlings and the visitors were thrilled.

    We had 1 new nest and no false crawls.

    Nest #91 looks to have been our missing back flipper mama.  The nest was laid at the high tide line, so we relocated 57 eggs to a safer location.  

    *This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Wednesday, July 27

    We had a bit of an adventure today!  The buggy is having some issues, so we had to implement Morning Patrol Plan B.  We split up the beach into sections and 10 of us patrolled by walking.  It went very well but we had to have Gary ready with his truck to haul nesting supplies to the accesses.

    Susan found the eggs for Nest #90 today.  What a great birthday present for her!  Happy Birthday, Susan!!  Visitors called late last night to let us know they were watching the Mama from a respectful distance.  We appreciated the call!

    Another crawl was found about 100 yards away.  Mama crawled high into and over a dune.  We dug and dug and were not able to locate an egg chamber.  The crawl widths are very close, so it could have been the same turtle.  There were also some four footed animal tracks, crab tracks and possibly human tracks nearby so Mama may have been scared away.  We are calling this a false crawl.

    Nest #5 had about 5 hatchlings emerge and crawl over the back of the runway from sand build up.  The wind and sand has been brutal!  Thankfully, some of the tracks led to the high tide line.

    Nest #14 had “+2 10:14 pm” written in the runway.

    Nest #17  had 4 hatchlings emerge last night on day 54 and a few more tracks were seen in the runway this morning

    Pebble Beach Patrol found Otter Tracks and Alligator Tracks!  WOW!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    Pebble Beach 1
    Pebble Beach 2
    Pebble Beach 3
  • Tuesday, July 26

    Lots of excitement overnight and this morning!  

    Nest #8 hatched at about 9:50 with 96 hatchlings and some very helpful residents!  We have some new Turtle Ambassadors!  2 more hatchlings emerged at some point later.

    Nest #14 had 4 more hatchlings emerge after 9:40 last night with more helpful visitors!

    *Pebble Beach Patrol found lots of hatchling tracks today!  They came from behind an area that was previously marked as a false crawl.  Mama had crawled over a log into Marsh grass.  When a “Wild” nest is found, an immediate excavation is completed.  We are calling this Nest #89.

    • Live Hatchlings-16
    • Dead Hatchlings-2 (one was used for DNA testing)
    • Unhatched Eggs-77 (The nest cavity was very wet at the bottom which made it difficult for the lower eggs to develop. 16 plump white eggs were relocated because of possible viability)
    • Hatched Egg Shells-42

    We had Nest #88 on the East End that had to be moved.  74 eggs were relocated to a safer location. There were also 2 false crawls!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, July 25

    No new nests and no false crawls this morning. 

    3 more hatchling tracks  from Nest #11

    Crab Hole at Nest #13 (Large crab)

    We got a call from our Pebble Beach Patrol in Southport about what looks like a single hatchling crawl. Susan and I checked it out, but we couldn’t find an emergence area.  The tracks are similar, but not just like our Loggerhead hatchlings.  P Patrol will keep a watch on the area.

    Sunday Evening

    Nest #14 hatched after 10:30 pm.  71 hatchlings were counted.

    Nest #3 had a very disappointing and sad inventory last night. The dead hatchlings were above the egg shells in the chamber, but did not make it out.  We think the heavy rains of last week made it too difficult to crawl out.  

    Live Hatchlings-0

    Dead Hatchlings-63

    Unhatched Eggs-9

    Hatched Egg Shells-123

    At least we know that 60 hatchlings made it out of the nest.

    Nest #10 Inventory results were much better.  They did have some hatchlings with flipper issues and 1 that was badly deformed.

    • Live Hatchlings-9
    • Dead Hatchlings-2
    • Unhatched Eggs-5
    • Hatched Egg Shells-101

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, July 24 – Nest #4 Inventory

    Nest #4’s Inventory went well with a small respectful crowd. 

    • Results: 
    • Live Hatchlings-1
    • Dead Hatchlings-0
    • Pipped-0
    • Hatched Egg Shells-83

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, July 24

    We had babies last night with many excited and helpful beach visitors!

    Nest #5 had 90 hatchlings emerge at a slow pace, many crawling/falling back into the nest and some turning around as they made it part way down the runway.  There wasn’t a major offending light until they would have reached the end of the runway.  Team 3 did a great job at redirecting! 2 hatchlings came out of the water.  Their tracks were traced up to the dune 50+ yards from the runway.  Turtle Ambassadors Carson and Carson, Jr. helped locate those!  New members Bobbi & Ken were over the moon!

    Nest #7 boiled at 9:15 with 104 hatchlings going straight to the water within 30 minutes.  Visitors were very cooperative with turning off phones and lights and no hatchlings were disoriented.

    Nest #11 had one more hatchling emerge at 9:45.

    Nest #10 also had more hatchling tracks overnight.

    There were no new nests or false crawls this morning, but there were several pesky crabs!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, July 23

    We have 87 nests!!!!  That is the total number of nests we had last year!  

    No false crawls today.

    Nest #85 had some interesting characteristics. We saw some Green-like parallel flipper strokes and some Loggerhead-like alternating flipper strokes.  Mama dug and abandoned 3 holes before moving up again and laying (another characteristic of Greens).  The DNA will tell us for sure and of course, we will know when we see the hatchlings.

    Nest #86 was laid just above the high tide line with an escarpment.  86 eggs were relocated to a safer location.  86 has 86!

    Nest #87 was laid in a nicely protected area!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, July 22

    WOW!  We had 8 Crawls today!  3 new nests and 5 false crawls.  

    4 of the false crawls were very obvious. The other was our struggling Multi-Pit Mama.  She went on quite the journey today!  I will send a video later.

    Nests #82, #83 & #84 Mamas were very smart and laid high on the beach and safe!

    Nests #3, #10 & #11 had some hatchlings emerge.  

    It is still windy, but not as bad!  The runways look a LOT better!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, July 21

    It was windy again last night and this morning!

    Nests #3, #4 and #10 all had some turtles emerge last night.  Many visitors were present to add support!

    Nest #3 had 3 more emerge this morning for walking patrol and Nest #10 had more emerge overnight.

    We had 2 false crawls.  Both crawled high to dune lines, but did not lay.  1 was our Mult-Pit Mama.  She dug 5 partial body areas, not exactly pits.

    No new nests today.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, July 20

    Good Morning!

    No nesting activity overnight, but there was a lot of sand accumulation again!  Some runways and nest tops need uncovering and repair.

    Several teams are now sitting with nests, anticipating the hatchlings.  Several other nests are scheduled to be greened now through the weekend.  Busy days are ahead, so rest up when you can!

    Enjoy these pretty pictures from Brad (sunrise) and Barbara (rainbow)!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, July 19 – Nest #2 Inventory

    Nest #2 was inventoried this evening. We had a wonderful group of visitors who were blessed to see 14 live hatchlings! We are grateful for all who helped shoo the birds away, especially Marshall with his kite! (We know it’s the circle of life, but we didn’t want any children traumatized!)

    Nest #2 was laid on May 12th and hatched on Day 65.  

    • Live: 14
    • Dead: 0
    • Egg Shells: 136
    • Unhatched:. 10
    • Pipped Eggs; 1

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, July 19

    WHEW!  The wind blew us away last night, but will hopefully be better today.  Many nests and runways were under additional sand and most will need attention today.

    Nest #6 hatched right on Day 56 between 9:00 and 9:40 with about 50 hatchlings seen going to the water.  Congrats to George for sticking with them!!  There were 2 more hatchling tracks this morning.

    We have 1 new nest and no false crawls.  Nest #81 was laid at the East End near a recent high tide line and 113 eggs were relocated to a safer location.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    Nest #81 and hatchling tracks on Nest #6

  • Monday, July 18

    The tide came up pretty high and smoothed out our beach!  No nests were overwashed.  

    We had 1 new nest and no false crawls.  Nest #80 was laid in a safe location!

    Nest #2 may have had another hatchling emerge.  It was hard to tell as there were also crab tracks.

    We are getting ready to be busy, busy, busy!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, July 17

    We had 1 false crawl and 1 new nest today!  I see a pattern…

    Nest #79 was located in a safe location.

    A good samaritan left us a note stating that 2 more hatchlings emerged from Nest #2 last night at 2:00 am.  We appreciate this information!!!!

    Sadly, we had a deceased juvenile Kemp’s Ridley found at the high tide line. Most likely a boat strike victim.  Strand Data was taken, a report was filed with the State and it was buried on the beach.  Thanks to our running friends, the Smiths, for alerting us to the turtle!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, July 16

    Patrol dodged thunder storms this morning!  There was 1 nest and 1 false crawl.  

    Team 2 had just left Nest #2 last night when the turtles decided to emerge (sneaky turtles)!  Other CBTW members just happened by and saw turtles coming down the runway.  They were able to enlist help from some beach visitors to see the turtles in the water until Team 2 arrived back.  Thanks to all who helped!  

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)

  • Friday, July 15

    Good Morning!

    We had 1 False Crawl and 1 Nest, both on the East End, possibly the same turtle.

    Nest # 77 was relocated from the high tide line to a safe location just before the rain band hit us!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, July 15 – Nest #1 Inventory

    Nest #1 had another crab hole this morning which again left the nest cavity exposed.  The storm was too strong to do anything about it on patrol.  We feared the rain would inundate the nest, so Team 0 went out and did the excavation/inventory before more rain arrived. There were 2 hatchlings at the bottom of the nest.  They were under the hatched egg shells and a lot of very heavy wet sand.  We were glad we could free them to go out to the ocean.  There were several families from the houses behind the nest and walking on the beach that got to see them go!

    Nest #1 Inventory:

    • Live Hatchlings- 2
    • Dead Hatchlings- 3 (they were crab victims and ants had invaded)
    • Hatched Eggs-107, + lots of egg shells pieces
    • Unhatched- 6 

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    Dancing to the Sea
  • Thursday, July 14

    Good morning!

    We had 1 nest and 1 false crawl today.  The crawls were very difficult to see because the wind had just about swept them away!  

    Nest #76 was laid in a safe location.

    The False Crawl was our Multi-pit Mama again.  

    No action to report on Nests #1 & #2.  

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • State Port Pilot Article

    We made the front page of The State Port Pilot! (See attached photos)

    Teresa and I were also interviewed by Lisa Anderson of their online newsletter,  Good Newsletter, last week.  It will be a video feature of Morning Patrol and information about our program and purpose.  You can register for the newsletter @

    https://stateportpilot.com/newsletter/

    Port Pilot “Good Newsletter” Ride Along:

    We are excited to share our Video by Lisa Anderson with The State Port Pilot!  We aren’t comfortable being on camera, but we hope we got the message across!

    State Port Pilot “Good Newsletter” Ride Along:

  • Wednesday, July 13

    We had 1 false crawl this morning, high in a dune area.  I guess the grass was just too thick for her to dig.

    No action at Nests #1 or #2 last night.

    Nest #3 had a human dune climber 🙁

    Nest #27 has a persistent crab.

    Pebble Beach in Southport had some different tracks today, a River Otter!

    We are also in the midst of a King Tide.  Keep your fingers crossed for no washovers!

    We will be greening several nests in the upcoming days!  Get ready for some fun!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, July 12

    Nest # 1 hatched, 3 new nests, 1 false crawl and a rainbow to report today!

    Nest #1 hatched at 2:00 am!   Visitors in a house behind the nest called at 2:00 am to report it was hatching.  IT WAS THE FIRST NEST IN THE STATE REPORTED TO HATCH!!!!  The visitor was a UNC-W student who had experience with nest boils.  How lucky is that?  We had been chased off by the bugs last night a little after 9:30.  Teresa and I checked it again at about Midnight after responding to a call about a mama turtle nesting.  It was still flat then.  

    We were blessed to see that mama turtle as she was finishing up her nest.  We then checked and she had a Flipper Tag!  We are excited about reporting that!  The pictures were taken with the Night Sight feature on my camera. The nest (Nest #73) was moved this morning as it was just above the high tide line. 138 eggs were moved back to the dune line.

    Nest #74 was laid high and dry!

    Nest #75 was laid just above a high tide line in an area known for flooding.  94 eggs were relocated to a safer location.

    The False Crawl was attempted directly in front of another nest.  Mama started a nest cavity and deserted it.  There were a lot of thick roots where she dug.

    There was also a very large hole left on the beach near the public parking lot.  Patrol tried to fill it in, but it was just too big.  The town was notified and will be filling it in with equipment.  Dangerous for turtles as well as humans!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, July 11

    We have 3 new nests and 1 false crawl today!  All nests were laid in safe locations so no need for any relocations today, YAY!

    No activity on Nests #1 (Day 62 today) & #2 (Day 60 today).  We thought Nest #2 might do something as it had a slight dip.  Maybe tonight will be the night!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, July 10

    We had 2 false crawls and 1 nest today!

    The first false crawl was again on the East End on the river side.  The Morning Patrol really worked hard to verify there were no eggs!!  Sure wish we could use a ‘Shell Phone’ and ask the Mamas to aim farther down Caswell Beach!

    Nest #69 was laid right on a short ledge at the high tide line.  128 eggs were relocated to a safer location.

    The second false crawl was pretty, but obvious, too.

    Nests #1 & #2 did not have any activity overnight, but who knows what will happen during the rains today/tonight?

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, July 9

    We had 2 nests and 3 false crawls this morning. 

    Nest #67 was laid just west of the East Point in an escarpment.  98 eggs were relocated to a safer location!

    The first false crawl Mama crawled up right beside a sailboat, turned in the grass and went back out.

    The 2nd false crawl was out Multi-Pit Mama.  Bless her heart, we wish we could assist her!  She stopped about 6 times, but didn’t dig into the sand.

    The 3rd false crawl left a nest cavity empty and uncovered.

    Nest #68 was laid just at the high tide line, tidal debris was right behind it.  114 eggs were relocated to the dune line.  Karen was excited to help on this one!

    Nests #1 and #2 are still taking their time.  We are trying to be patient as we want them to be fully developed when they hatch!  

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, July 8

    Sorry for the delay! 
    We have 3 new nests and 2 false crawls today.

    The first False Crawl was on the river beach at Ft. Caswell.  She literally had no place to lay there!

    Nests #64 had to be moved from the north side of the East Point on the river.  104 eggs were relocated to a safer location.

    Nest #65 was laid below the high tide line and was moved back to the dunes.  108 eggs were relocated.

    The second False Crawl was interesting.  She circled around in 2 different areas, but never dug a nest cavity.

    Nest #66 was laid safely and didn’t need any intervention.

    Nests #1 & #2  have not shown any evidence of hatching readiness, but who really knows?

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    A Tern egg was found on Nest #27!

  • Thursday, July 7

    We are HAPPY to report Nest #63 was laid in a safe location.  You will see from the pictures that a new member, George, was quite excited to see the process and to hold the DNA egg!

    We are SAD to report we found a large dead Loggerhead in front of the OKI Villas.  By the tail length we think it is a male.  Their tails extend beyond their carapace.  His carapace was 87cm long (34.2 inches) and 84cm long (33 inches).   He was the victim of a propeller strike.  We want to extend our thanks to Brian from Caswell Beach Public Works (who by the way is also a CBTW Member) for helping us carry and bury the turtle with the tractor.  He made the job much easier!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    The following are of the deceased Loggerhead

  • Wednesday, July 6

    After a few days of no nests, we have Nest #62.  It was laid on the river side of the East End.  It is a bad area for tide and boat wake washovers, so 114 eggs were relocated to a safer location!  Mama started her first cavity lower on the beach, abandoned that one and tried higher.  Interesting process to see!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, July 4

    Happy Independence Day!  We hope you are able to enjoy the day safely with family and friends!

    We had 3 False crawls this morning and A LOT of trash.  Much of the trash was debris from the Refugee Boat that washed ashore yesterday on Caswell Beach.  We picked up pieces of Styrofoam and water bottles (unlike the kind we have in the US.  The attached picture is only what we picked up on the east end.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, July 3

    The East Point had action again today (2 False Crawls).  We’ve decided they are trying to find Religion at the Baptist Assembly beach! One was obvious and the other they dug to China to make sure!

    Nest #61 was located in a different area this morning in a safe place!  

    We are happy to report that we suffered no issues with TS Colin!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, July 2

    Whew!  Hold on to your hats today!  This morning we had Lisa Anderson from the State Port Pilot riding along with us.  We had 2 new nests, 1 false crawl and 1 injured Shearwater Bird (taken to Sea Biscuit Rescue)!

    Nest #59 was laid very deeply in an area known for ground water problems.  102 eggs were relocated to a safer location!

    Nest #60 was laid by our Southport Mama on the river beach!  We relocated 90 eggs to a safe location on Caswell Beach.This nest surely would have been washed away with the upcoming storm!  Our Pebble Beach Patrol was really excited to get to see the process of following the crawl and locating the eggs!  We are grateful to our members in The Landing and their neighbors for their watchful eyes out there!!!

    The false crawl was an obvious in and out U-Turn.

    We checked all the nests and their areas for possible issues with Tropical Storm Colin.  We are hoping and praying all will be well as the storm passes our coast!  The wind is strong and the waves are rough even now. 

    Stay Safe out there!!!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, July 1

    The rain held off so we could get our patrol in this morning!

    We have 2 new nests and 1 false crawl!  On this date last year we had 54 nests, so we are in good shape!

    Nest #57’s Mama crawled through a marked Nesting Site!  This site will be “Guarded” well!

    Nest #58’s Mama also crawled through a marked nest!  She knocked down the poles and string in the process, poor thing!  Patrol righted the poles and got things cleaned up!

    We aren’t sure what happened with the false crawl.  She stopped in two areas, but never dug into the sand.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, June 30

    We had 2 nests this morning, both laid high and dry!  We also enjoyed several visitors who got to observe the excitement and learn more about the process!

    One family called last night just before midnight to report a turtle nesting.  They were thrilled to observe the miracle from a respectful distance!  The Mama for this nest crawled over 2 exposed Christmas Trees from last year’s dune project.  Sea turtles do not see well on land and will run into or crawl over anything in their way.  We hope she wasn’t injured in the process!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, June 29

    2 False Crawls, both on the East End.  Two different turtles according to the crawl width.  One mama looks to have been harassed by Coyotes.  There were Coyote tracks all over and around her crawl area.  Poor thing!

    Nest #54 was beautifully laid in a safe area!

    Our Southport Patrol has been checking the river beach.  It is NOT an easy trek!  No crawls to report lately.  Thanks Team!!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, June 28

    We have Nest #53!    114 eggs were relocated to a safer location!  It was laid on the East End where there has been a lot of erosion.  So far this season 11 nests have been moved from the East End!  WOW!  I can’t wait to get the data from these Mama’s to see how many are repeat nesters or related! 

    We also had 2 false crawls.  Unfortunately our buggy didn’t like the sand anymore than that mama and got stuck.  SHOUT OUT to Chief Sam Massey from Caswell Beach Police for pulling it out so Patrol could continue down the beach!!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, June 27

    We had 4 new nests today and 0 false crawls!!!  2 Mamas laid very near each other!  Sisters perhaps?

    • Nest #49 was laid right on a high tideline, so 91 eggs were relocated back towards the dunes.
    • Nest #50 was laid below a high tideline, so 118 eggs were relocated back towards the dunes and away from a resident’s pathway.
    • Nest #51 was laid about 25-30 yards from Nest #50 high at the duneline.
    • Nest #52 was also in a safe area!  So happy our numbers are growing again!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, June 26

    We had no crawls on Saturday, but today made up for it!  There were 3 new nests and 3 false crawls!  

    • Nest #46 was laid on the East end AGAIN and just under a sloughing dune.  134 eggs were relocated to a safer location!
    • Nest #47 was laid precariously close to a high tideline. 120 Eggs were relocated back to a safer distance.
    • Nest #48 was also laid on the high tideline.  104 Eggs were relocated to a safe location.

    A sweet family got to watch our patrol in action and learn about the process!

    Thanks, Morning Patrol!!!  You are AWESOME!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, June 24

    We had 0 false crawls and 1 new nest this morning at the east end.  They sure are liking that area this season!  Unfortunately, it needed to be moved.  Nest #45 had 112 eggs moved to a safer location.

    Also, check out our new logo!  We will use it for our Facebook page, website and will have some decals soon!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, June 22

    We have Nest #44 laid in a safe location.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, June 21

    We have Nest #43 today!  Mama dug one egg chamber, but abandoned it and moved up a little higher to find a better spot.  Unfortunately, it was still too close to the high tide line, so 110 eggs were relocated to a safer location.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, June 20

    We have Nest #42 laid in a safe location and no false crawls today.  We also rechecked the Southport river beach.  There were no new crawls there today.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday. June 19

    Today has been a long day.  The Morning Patrol spent 4+ hours on the beach this morning with 4 False Crawls and 2 Nests.  So we have Nest #40 which had to be moved from an escarpment on the east end and Nest #41 which was laid in a safe location!

    THEN, we received a call from Southport.  Our Southport Mama has made another appearance on the river beach.  3 of us spent 2+ hours digging in very coarse sand/rock.  She had 3 crawls.  1 was a fairly obvious false crawl.  We checked and rechecked and dug deeper and even hit very wet sand, but couldn’t find any eggs.  So the 3 will be marked as false.  She may return tomorrow. 

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, June 17

    It was a pleasantly cool morning with 2 more nests!  Our Mamas are favoring the east end this year.  

    Nest #38 had to be moved from just beyond the King Tide wet sand.  152 eggs were relocated to a safer location!

    Nest #39 was laid safely very close to another nest that had been laid 16 days ago.  Wonder if it’s the same Mama?  DNA will tell!

    You will see from the pictures that we are training up the next generation!  This is Hannah’s 3rd year on Walking Patrol and Ty’s 2nd year as a CBTW member.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, June 16

    It was a beautiful morning for 2 new nests!

    Nest #36 had a 42 inch crawl, big Mama!  It was laid in a great spot and the eggs were easy to find.

    Nest #37 had a 34 inch crawl.  We knew there had to be eggs because of the discrepancy in the incoming and outgoing crawls.  It took us a while, but we found the eggs!  

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

    Mary Ann got a lesson in how many holes can be dug before you find a nest cavity sometimes!

  • Wednesday, June 15

    We have Nest #35 and an obvious False Crawl today! The nest, of 130 eggs, needed to be relocated due to Light Interference from the river GPS Navigation Tower.  We had a nest out there last season and the hatchlings were disoriented and went in the wrong direction!
    The sunrise added a nice touch to the first pictures!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, June 14

    WOW!  Full Moon + King Tide = Nests and Crawls (at least last night did)!  We have 4 new nests and 2 False Crawls!  Patrol Walkers Brad and LuAnn finally got to see the tracks and nesting areas!  Kathleen and Theresa S. were Rock Stars and Ride Along member Becky got to see it all!
    The first False Crawl was very high and dry at the East Point.  Mama started an egg chamber, but then abandoned it.  The second False Crawl was obvious.  She crawled up a 2 foot escarpment that had been carved out by the King Tide.  
    The next crawl looked False, but it was Nest #31 (we always double check any crawl that looks false)!  They relocated 125 eggs to a safer location.
    Nest #32 & #33 were laid in a safe locations.
    Nest #34 was laid at the High Tideline and 123 eggs were relocated to a safe location.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, June 13

    We had 2 False Crawls this morning.  One was high and up to the grass, but she just didn’t lay for some reason.  The other was in the low tide area and got washed away before we could measure the crawl width.
    No crawls of any kind yesterday.

    Some have asked how to see data on the seaturtle.org website, so here are a few tips:

    • Go to seaturtle.org
    • Click on Resources (a menu will drop down)
    • Click on Nesting
    • Click on North Carolina
    • Click in the box for Select a Beach
    • Select Caswell Beach, There you can see our latest general data.  It does not give specific data on individual nests.   The whole site has a lot of interesting and useful information!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, June 11

    Happy Saturday!  We have 2 new nests this morning!Nest #29 had to be moved from an escarpment just before the East Point. 132 eggs were relocated to a safer location!  Nest #30 had an interesting crawl.  Mama could possibly have a flipper, too, but she laid well!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, June 10

    WELL, SHE FINALLY DID IT!   MULTI-PIT MAMA LAID!  We had 2 nests total today and 1 False Crawl.
    Nest #27 had to be moved from the river side of the East Point.  There were 139 eggs relocated!  Nest #28 was laid beyond the high tide line after 2 lower area attempts.  She was determined this time!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, June 9

    We have Nest #26!  Visitors called last night about a Mama crawling up the beach.  Teresa was able to go out and watch her lay and scan her for pit tags (no tags found)!  The visitors were able to watch from a respectable distance and enjoy the miracle!  
    Our Multi-Pit Mama returned.  She had 6 tries, but no eggs were found.  Bless her, she is persistent!  

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, June 8

    We have Nest #25 laid in a safe location! Our multi-pit Mama was back again with another interesting False Crawl.  Bless her heart!  We hope she is able to lay!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, June 7

    We have Nest #23 in a nice high spot and one False Crawl today.  Unfortunately, Nest #19 was slightly washed over again.  We have been told by the State that a little washover is OK for a nest.  We hope that is the case with this one!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, June 6

    We have Nest #22 in a high and dry area!

    The Tide was unusually high this morning, probably due to Tropical Storm Alex out in the Atlantic.  The King Tide isn’t until next week!  Nest #19 was slightly overwashed, and it’s in a high spot.  Nest #12 was splashed all around, but not over.  (Nest #12 was also free from any animal invasion today!)

     Thank you to all who attended yesterday’s meeting.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, June 5

    The Mama Turtles led the Morning Patrol on a bit of a journey this morning.  Thanks to their persistence, we have Nest #21 in another good location and 1 False Crawl.
    Unfortunately, a fox or coyote dug into Nest #12. Sadly, we lost 31 eggs.  Last year we did not have a fox or coyote issue on Caswell Beach all season.  A cage was added, but it probably wouldn’t have made a difference in this situation as the animal dug in from the left side beyond the stakes.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, June 4

    We have Nest #20 and 4 False Crawls today!  That gives us 20 Nests and 18 False Crawls.  We don’t know the reason for the high # of False Crawls, but hope the Mamas will find their sweet spot and lay soon!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, June 3

    How many Patrol Members does it take to find a nest???  A LOT, especially when it looks like a nest and feels like a nest!  Thanks to Gary, Susan and Hannah for helping Teresa and Joy this morning!   Our Patrol is AWESOME!  
    2 Nests and 3 False Crawls.  Nests #18 and #19 were laid in safe locations!

    The first False Crawl was near the East Point in a dune escarpment, not a safe place!  The last 2 False Crawls were right next to each other.  Hmm, wonder if they were related?  Sadly, the mamas left without laying. 

    Nest #18
    Nest #18
    Nest #18
    Nest #19
    Nest #19
    Nest #19
    East Point False Crawl
    East Point
    East Point
    False Crawl
    False Crawl
    False Crawl
    False Crawl

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, June2

    We have nest #17, located in a nice high area!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, June 1

    Another busy morning for patrol!  2 nests and 2 obvious false crawls. Nest #15 had to be relocated from the East Point. The crawl had a beautiful tail drag line down the middle. THERE WERE 153 EGGS!  Large nests such as this don’t always have a good hatch % rate.  We shall see! Nest #16 was laid in a safe location, thankfully! Great job, Morning Patrol!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, May 31

    Our dry spell is over!  The Morning Patrol had a fun time this morning (3.5 hours worth) with 3 nests and 1 false crawl!  We have nests #12 & #13, both laid in very safe locations!  Nest #14 was a little trickier to find and needed to be relocated from the high tideline up towards the dunes.  Thanks Morning Patrol for all of your hard work today!!

    Nest # 12
    Nest # 12
    Nest # 12
    Nest # 13
    Nest # 13
    Nest # 13
    Nest # 14
    Nest # 14
    Nest # 14
    Nest # 14

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, May 27

    WOW! We have Nest #10. Deep Point Marina in Southport called about a turtle crawl on the beach by the Marina.  If the tide had been high, this nest might not have been found!  Teresa and Susan went to check it out and BINGO, our Southport laying Mama is back!  She visits us every 3 years or so. She had a couple of elongated eggs.  We find them from time to time. The nest is being relocated to Caswell Beach.  What an exciting day!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, May 26

    WOW!  We have a Leatherback nest!!!! The Nest is #9.

    She had a 78 inch crawl width (198cm)! Her location was just at the high tideline, so the nest was relocated.  The Morning Patrol was able to locate the nest cavity fairly easily!  Yay, Team!!! There were 75 large yolked eggs and 35 small yolkless eggs.  This is typical of a Leatherback nest.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, May 25

    We have Nest #8 at another good location!  This nest cavity was a little easier to find than the last two! 

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Tuesday, May 24

    Our Patrol found what first appeared to be a False Crawl this morning. After a second check of the crawl area a nest was found!!!!  We have Nest #7!   After yesterday’s double check and today’s double check we will be double checking all of our false crawls.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, May 23

    It’s Quadruplets!  It was a busy morning on Morning Patrol!  We had 4 nests today and 3 False Crawls!  The nests were all placed by smart Mama’s in very safe locations.  
    This brings us to 6 Nests and 1 Nesting Site.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Saturday, May21

    Our 8 Pit Turtle was back again today and again.  No egg chamber, so False Crawl. Our friends at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center said that she may be missing a back flipper, which would cause her difficulty in digging a chamber.  When compared, her right flipper prints are different from her left flipper prints.  
    The next False Crawl had the same Crawl Width (93cm/36″) as 8 Pit.  It was a very quick in and out with no body pits.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Friday, May 20

    It’s been another busy day! This morning we had a crawl we believed to be a nest, but we were not able to find the eggs.  Mama had a small crawl width, 71 cm or 28 inches wide.  Her incoming tracks and outgoing tracks had a large gap that meant she was there for a good while.  At this point, it is documented as a false crawl, but we marked the area as a Nesting Site (NS).  We will watch the area closely in 55-65 days for signs of activity!  

    This afternoon we were called by Turtle Ambassadors to the front of the Oak Island Villas today They called us about a juvenile green turtle that was stranded in the surf, injured and very sick. We transported her/him to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach. She had been sedentary for quite some time after her injury (cut carapace) and was covered in vegetation and barnacles. The wonderful team at KBSTRRC was taking great care of her! They are naming turtles after Crayola Crayon colors. We named the turtle “Gritty Green” because of all the encrusted sand on her carapace.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, May 19

    Today was a confusing day.  We found one very strange false crawl.  Mama dug body pits 8 times without digging any actual chambers for a nest.!!! She must have been worn out by the time she got closer to the dune because she turned back around and crawled straight back to the water.
    Then, later today I got an email about a false crawl where the tide had started receding.  Short path in and back out again.  She may have come in and out after we had passed by on patrol or we may have somehow missed it.  I am in the process of getting more information on the folks who took the pictures.  
    Hopefully these Mamas will try again tomorrow!!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Monday, May 16

    No new nests to report, but we did have a stranded turtle during our Morning Patrol.  Thanks to Kathleen Bowman and Barbara Waite for assisting! Here is the Facebook post.
    Meet Aqua Pearl Amanda. She is a Kemp’s Ridley ‘Hybrid’ that was stranded on Caswell Beach this morning. She suffered a boat strike but was also malnourished. Special thanks to our Ambassador, Amanda, who called in for the rescue! We transported her to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Her injuries are severe. We are thankful for their care and know they will do everything in their power to help her! The KBSTRRC are naming stranded turtles after Crayola Crayon colors at this time, so we chose Aqua Pearl.The KBSTRRC team mentioned Hybrid because she has Kemp’s and Green Turtle characteristics.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Thursday, May 12

    We have Nest #2!  Our second nest is usually at least a week after the first.  Are we on a roll or what?! 
    Mama was sneaky.  The Morning Patrol found 4 eggs first, not in a chamber.  The chamber was finally located about a foot away!
    She picked a nice high spot so we won’t have to worry about the King Tide next week!

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Wednesday, May 10

    Good Morning!  (It really is!)Our season has truly begun, we have NEST #1!

    We will be sending out a Morning Report on the mornings we find nests or activity.  Can’t wait to see what the season brings in!

    This is what the Morning Patrol does to see if it is a nest or a False Crawl.  One egg is sacrificed for DNA research.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).

  • Sunday, May 1

    Happy First Day of Sea Turtle Season!

    Our Morning Patrol was out at sunrise to see what they could see!  We don’t expect any crawls for a couple of weeks, but we do know the turtles have been off shore.  The Leatherbacks have been active off the Ocean Crest Pier this week!  We will not send a daily morning report until we actually have some turtle activity.

    **This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03).