Nest #3 was laid high in a dune.
Nest #4: We had a call from the Henderson Family at 10:45 last night about a sea turtle nesting! When we arrived the family was very respectful of the mama, keeping their distance, and watching the miracle by the light of the moon. They have a vacation memory of a lifetime! Thank you Henderson family for calling! If you come upon a nesting mama, please follow their example – please call our hotline asap at 910-368-6323. Stay at least 20 feet behind her and never shine a light or use a flash on a mama turtle or hatchling.
Mama kept a tight and compact nest area, pivoting around and going out where she came in. We waited until she was finished before we gathered her stats. We did not see any flipper tags. Her carapace measured 101 cm/39.7 inches long from notch to tip and 90 cm/35.4 inches at the widest point across. Her crawl width was 111.7 cm/44 inches wide. She was a big mama!
The pictures for Nest #4 were taken with the Night Sight feature on the phone. No lights were used!
**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.
