After four disappointing False Crawls yesterday, Caswell Beach is back on track with three new sea turtle nests. We are hoping with some relief from the heat and overnight rain, our mamas are ready for more beach visits.
Morning Patrol was greeted by a sweet family of 12 from Cincinatti, Ohio. They have been coming to Caswell Beach for vacation for 66 years!! Amazing, as they introduce their next generation to sea turtles and our efforts.
The East End had two crawls that look possibly to be the same Sea Turtle Mama (distinct drag mark in her crawl). May even be the same mama from a crawl 12 days ago! On her first attempt, she tried very hard to get up high and may have tumbled down the dune face. It was marked as a False Crawl. On the second crawl, Mama found a much more appropriate and safe place for Nest #28! There was a partially buried piece of rope in her crawl path.
We were also happy to locate two additional nests laid high on the beach!
Nest #29’s Mama had an interesting crawl. Deep tracks in the center of the distance where she pulled extra hard. We saw the same in a False Crawl yesterday.
Nest #30 was textbook perfect! Mama read the State Handbook and made it an easy nest for our Patrol Team!
**This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 25ST03).
Please consider donating to our efforts as we build up our necessary resources for the season.
You can donate at Caswell Beach Turtle Watch Donations.
