Wild sea turtle nests at Caswell Beach are continuing to break our all time record! We now have 110 nests for 2026! It’s been an overwhelming year with the number of nests and all that brings. From the multiple new nests AND false crawls per day during nesting season with Mamas hoarding specific sections of Read More
Posts by CWBTW Editor
What It’s Like to be a Sea Turtle Protection Volunteer
Many know that Caswell Beach and Oak Island each have turtle protection organizations that patrol the beaches and work to protect sea turtles. One of the first questions we are often asked is, “what does it take to become a sea turtle volunteer?” The answer? Lot’s of time, dedication and patience. We track our volunteer Read More
Tired Turtles and Turtle Tired! What Is Going On?
Let’s face it, it’s been un unusual Sea Turtle summer here on Caswell Beach this year. First, we’ve had a record number of sea turtles nests, more than EVER before at 108 nests! That alone has kept Caswell Beach Turtle Watch scrambling, especially in recent weeks, as we pivot from Mamas nestings to babies hatching Read More
We Have A New Record! 106 Sea Turtle Nests!
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 Read More
Caswell Beach Turtle Watch Makes Front Page In State Port Pilot
It’s been a very busy sea turtle season so far at Caswell Beach this year, and our record numbers are making headlines. This past week Southport’s State Port Pilot front page feature focused on the work that Caswell Beach Turtle Watch does and how it is on track to mark a record number of sea Read More
Was This The Wackiest Sea Turtle Week Ever?
SO much has changed from a week ago when we were wondering why no nests had hatched! Coming off of the July King Tides, we have greened a good number of nests and many teams have started nest sitting and educating our beach visitors. Here’s just a taste of what this week brought! • Hurricane Read More
Six Sea Turtle Nests In One Day!
And, as our fearless leader Jamie said, “the adrenaline rush is real!” after the morning patrol team divided and conquered to deal with the new daily record. The turtle mamas have been persistent and determined, false crawling multiple times per night, high and low, looking for the right spot. One thought is they may be Read More
Turtle Patrol: Highs and Lows with Extraordinary Sea Turtles
For all of us at Caswell Beach Turtle Watch, and of course, our beach community, all sea turtles are extraordinary creatures. But as our Sea Turtle Patrol team can attest – every interaction – every crawl, every nest, every strand and every rescue illustrates a remarkable lesson of strength and perseverance. Most days on morning Read More
A Banner Year for Sea Turtle Nest Counts? And A Special Treat!
We are on a roll this year – literally! We are putting the miles on our new buggy (which we are SO grateful for) trying to keep up with the nests and false crawls across our small but mighty beach here at Caswell Beach. We have been cautiously optimistic that after last year’s low nest Read More
King Tides and Sargassum Challenge Caswell Sea Turtle Nests
It’s been an interesting weather week for Caswell Beach and for our sea turtles! We knew the King Tides were coming (and we are expecting more each month this summer), but it’s the first experience in how they’d affect the newly replenished beach. Add to that the high winds that accompanied it, and the beach Read More