During nesting season (and beyond) our Caswell Beach Turtle Watch Morning Patrol surveys the beach at dawn for sea turtle nests. The Morning Patrol Team is a group of volunteers who have been trained in nest and egg chamber location. ! nests are marked for identification and the nest location data is sent to the state database. If we question the safety of a naturally laid nest, we must use the state guidelines which are published in the NC Sea Turtle Project Volunteer Handbook to determine if relocation of the nest is necessary. The guidelines are as follows:
Nest Relocation
Turtle nests should be allowed to incubate at their original location, in situ, if there is any reasonable likelihood of survival. Relocation is to be used as a method of last resort in terms of nest management.
In most cases, nests that are naturally laid in areas with heavy foot or vehicular traffic can be marked so that they are avoided by beach goers. If a nest is laid near a bright light that may misorient hatchlings, ask the party responsible for the light if the light can either be turned off or shaded, at least around the time of expected emergence. If you need assistance with lighting problems, please call the Sea Turtle Project Coordinators. Nests should be moved only when one or more of the following situations exist:
- The nest is located below the average high tide line where regular daily inundation will result in embryonic mortality. Higher than average tides in the future and/or potential storm surge should not be a factor, as these events would not lead to regular inundation and are difficult to predict. Some level of overwash is natural and in some cases, necessary for successful incubation.
- The nest is laid in an area known to be susceptible to erosion. Examples include areas near groins or rock revetments, areas near inlets, etc.
- The nest is laid under a sloughing escarpment and is subject to being buried too deeply.
*If you believe a nest that does not meet these above conditions should be moved, you must call the NC Sea Turtle Hotline at 252-241-7367 for consultation BEFORE you relocate the eggs. In rare cases, a permit may be issued in advance for unusual, but lawfully conducted, human activities that pose a serious threat to nests, such as emergency dune pushing following a major storm event, or beach construction activities during summer months. When these situations arise and only after permits have been issued, the local sea turtle volunteers/participants will be notified by the NCWRC and given instructions on nest relocation protocol that are unique to the situation at hand.
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While several nests from the Golf Course to the East point have had some degree of overwash, only one had eggs exposed. This morning we had our very first washed out nest in several seasons. The sand on top of the nest had been completely washed away exposing the top layer of eggs. We do not know if any eggs were washed away.
Nest #46 is on Day 41 of incubation. The nest was laid over top of an 18 inch escarpment and back several yards. It is an area where we had previously had 2 successful “Wild” nests in the last 2 years. The nest area had 5+ YARDS of beach in front of it prior to the erosion that has happened since the nest was laid on July 10th.
Our State Coordinator, Dr. Matthew Godfrey, was contacted for direction. He advised an emergency relocation to higher ground. THIS IS ONLY DONE IF EGGS ARE EXPOSED AND WITH SPECIAL PERMISSION. Approximately 88 eggs were very carefully relocated beyond the King Tide line. We do not know if the eggs will be viable, but we are giving them their best chance to continue development.
Nest Inventory results can be found at https://caswellturtlewatch.org/2024-sea-turtle-nest-inventories/
If you ever have any questions regarding the nests on Caswell Beach, please contact us directly and we will be happy to answer your questions or concerns! Thank you, [email protected]
**This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 24ST03).
Want to help? Please consider donating to our efforts to protect sea turtles at Caswell Beach Turtle Watch Donations
Nest #46 Washout and Relocation
