Yesterday, as Hurricane Erin’s effects begin to hit Caswell Beach, unusually high tides and rough surf battered our shores. After an alert about the quickly rising tide late Tuesday afternoon, we went into ER Mode. Caswell Beach Turtle Watch Lead Coordinators contacted NCWRC State Biologist (who oversees and approves all our activities) permission was given to emergency excavate all nests that had any emergence. At that time we had five (The sixth nest, #30 came later)! Team leaders were called and Team 0 split up to get started.
Nest #29 was underwater when we arrived. After digging in the water we finally reached the chamber! Team Members arrived to help get green and tools out of the way and to a safe area. We retrieved the egg shells and 1 live hatchling was released! The hatchling still had some egg membrane surrounding him! We have never seen that! He couldn’t move his flippers until it was removed, but then he was raring to go!
Then we moved on to Nest #34. We now have confirmation that this was a Green Turtle Nest! The water was approaching the nest, but had not yet reached it. We quickly started digging and turtles were found at the top (and the middle and the bottom). They had 74 hatchlings! There were 68 ready to go and 6 pipped that had absorbed their yolk sacs, but needed a little more time getting out of the shells. The sand was hot so we put them in the bucket and took them to the wet sand. The waves pushed many back. Those swells were powerful! A few hatchlings were seen washed back even 2 hours later, but swept back out with a rip tide area. (Hatched Egg Shells – 140)
Nest #32: Awesome Team 7 arrived quickly at Nest #32 just in time! The water had started to fill in the nest as they were digging. That nest had a very good boil and no live hatchlings were left! What a blessing! (Hatched Egg Shells – 140)
Complicated Nest #28/#37: This was our rare situation this year when a sea turtle mama laid a new nest on top of an existing nest, with the chambers just inches apart. A difficult dilemma. After talking to our state biologist about this one, he agreed for the excavation of the #28 side. We dug in from the side so as to not disturb #37’s still incubating eggs. There was water in the bottom of the nest, but no live hatchlings. The escarpment that this nest was on was totally washed away. We will have to wait a couple of weeks to see how this effects Nest #37. Fingers Crossed!! (Hatched Egg Shells – 93)
Next was Nest #31 at the East End. It was on a Dune Face/camp beach access. The water had not reached it, but it probably would by Wednesday. 16 hatchlings were found just under the top layer of sand. Unfortunately, they had perished from the heat. Those dune faces get extra hot. (Hatched Egg Shells – 85)
LASTLY, Nest #30 was overwashed during the high tide, but had not yet hatched. Team 2 came out, cleaned up the nest top and sat for a few hours hoping for some action. 5 hatchlings emerged at 9:30 and permission was given for emergency excavation. This nest was washed over, but the water did eventually recede. When they were digging the contents there was a crust on top that we had to get through. It had protected.the nest. A little water may have gotten in, but the bottom of the nest had dry sand! That was everything to those 6 babies still in the nest! Nature is amazing! Anything else in that nest would likely not survive another overwash at the next high tide! The results were disappointing, but we saved 6 hatchlings! (Hatched Egg Shells – 11)
Full inventory results for the season can be found on our 2025 Sea Turtle Nest Inventories page.
That leaves us with 10 nests left on the beach. Unfortunately, many of them were overwashed. We know from experience that a little overwash isn’t devastating to a nest, depending on the stage of development, but repeated events are not good. We will hope for the best!
This is just part of why we do the hard work that we do for sea turtles on behalf of NCWRC and the Endangered Species Act. It’s not always pleasant, but mother nature always shows her power and surprises us in so many ways. Year by year our sea turtles make more progress in their numbers. Thanks to all of our followers for supporting us!
**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.