Today, an undiscovered nest or “wild nest” became our ticket to breaking our all time record of 105 nests in 2019. Thanks to the keen eye of one of our morning patrol volunteers, we were lucky to document this nest, which had 94 hatched eggs and sent another 17 live hatchlings into the ocean!
At the peak of our nesting season, we can have multiple false crawls per day, and while me make great efforts to locate any possible nests, there’s always a chance that we will miss one. With the many high and king tides so far this year, overwash, and multitude of false crawls, we were fully expecting a few undocumented nests.
The public’s help is crucial for nests like these, and we have had numerous reports of wandering or washed up hatchlings, especially in recent days. Make no mistake, reporting each and every turtle found, alive or not, helps us tremendously in our efforts. So please remember to keep our hotline handy (910-368-6323), and keep those sighting reports coming! We appreciate all of our turtle ambassadors.
Today’s post is short and sweet! Please join us in celebrating this Caswell Beach Turtle Watch milestone!
**This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 26ST03).
YOU CAN HELP! If you see a sea turtle mama coming onto the beach and and attempting to nest, please call our hotline immediately (910-368-6323) to notify us. During sea turtle season, we monitor 24/7. Please educate your family, friends, neighbors and especially – your renters. ALWAYS feel free to reach out to us if there is a concern, or you have questions. (All contact info is at the top of the page.)