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 hours to date here!
Coordinators
EACH BEACH HAS TWO STATE-DESIGNATED COORDINATORS who manage the overall operations of the organization. They manage a 24/7 hotline where all things turtle at Caswell Beach are called in: stranded turtles in winter, hooked turtles at fishing piers, injured turtles in the ocean, nesting mamas, hatching turtles, and more. It’s a full time job of managing volunteer teams, funding, nesting data management and reporting, hatches, nest inventories, volunteer training and safety, public outreach and education, and collaboration with town government and resources.
We are grateful to our coordinators for giving up so much of their summers, vacations, family time and sleep for our mission. It’s a 24/7 job in all of nature’s elements and they are tireless, patient and kind in all they do!
Volunteers
LET’S TALK ABOUT VOLUNTEERS NEXT. While it is an all volunteer program (nope, there’s no pay here, just joy) it is not a “local” group, it is part of a statewide NCWRC Sea Turtle Protection Program that selects coordinators (also volunteers) for each beach. These coordinators are trained by NCWRC about the regulations and guidelines they must follow, and are issued permits to run the turtle protection program for their designated beach. And while there are enthusiast groups, these NCWRC designated groups are the only official groups authorized to oversee sea turtle protection on these beaches.
Our volunteers, in most cases, are the face of our organization, and cheerfully greet our beach visitors of all ages to educate and enlighten. They are ready for your questions and have lots of info to share.
Nest Teams
THE VOLUNTEERS YOU SEE most often are the nest teams, that you see sitting near turtle nests at night. These volunteer teams, guided by team leads, help prepare nests for hatching, greet beach visitors and educate them about sea turtles, and guide hatching sea turtles to the safety of the ocean. While there were many lovely nights and sunsets at the beach, these volunteers brave heat, brutal wind, and biting bugs in fulfilling their duties. Most of the time nest sitting is educating beachgoers about the endangered and threatened sea turtles, their life cycles, and when and how they might hatch. There are always great questions about sea turtles, especially from the children.
Morning Patrol
A TEAM OF MORE SEASONED VOLUNTEERS devote their early morning hours each day to Morning Patrol. With the help of our beach buggy (funded by donations, thank you all!), each day two volunteers ride down the beach looking for new mama turtle crawls. Because the ATV can not reach all locations, we also have designated morning patrol walkers who cover these less accessible areas.
If these are nests, the nests are located, and if needed moved to a safer location on the beach. One egg is used to help identify the mama turtle through her DNA. Caswell Beach has many mama turtles who return to nest, and in some cases, it’s the only place they nest. Nests are roped off, labeled and then ready to incubate until hatch time.
As the season progresses, and nests begin to hatch, morning patrol checks nests for overnight emergence, looks for any stranded or injured hatchlings, and submits a daily update for the nest teams. There’s also nest preparation supplies that need to be delivered: the green runway that lines the nest ramp to the water, the ropes and poles that keep beach walkers from walking over nests or emerging turtles.
They patrol in sun, rain, wind, bugs, high and low tides – and even hurricanes! Wave if you see us!
Merchandise Sales
AND THEN THERE’S OUR FUNDING. Since Caswell Beach Turtle Watch operates solely via donation, one of our primary fundraising areas is T-Shirt Sales. Each year brings a different shirt design, and locals love the collect each one from year-to-year. It’s common for extended families to outfit the entire family for their annual beach photo in a CBTW T-Shirt. There are also stickers, magnets, books, stuffed and wiggly turtles, ornaments and more. The Merchandise Team makes sure there’s always plenty of fun turtle stuff on hand! Visit them Tuesdays and Fridays across from the Caswell Beach Town Hall from 9-12. You can also purchase through the CBTW Online Store.
Our Merchandise Sales coordinator and sales team work tirelessly each week (rain or shine in most cases) to make sure they are setup and ready to go for Tuesday and Friday sales, check that there’s enough inventory on hand, process sales and answer lots of questions. All with a cheerful and welcoming face! Stop by and see us!
Adoptions
NEST ADOPTIONS ARE ALSO A BIG CONTRIBUTOR to the funding that pays for beach vehicle maintenance and gas, nesting supplies, tools, and anything needed to keep the program running. (Our 2026 Adoptions are all taken at this time, but you can book for next year.)
Nest Adoptions are popular for our Caswell Beach families who have been here for generations, for families that visit seasonally, and for some that have never visited Caswell Beach, but love and support sea turtles. There can be multiple adoptions per nest and a select number of exclusive adoptions are available each season.
Our Adoptions Coordinator spends countless hours receiving and organizing adoption requests, reaching out to families, creating and hanging nest adoption signs, and monitoring the season’s progress and adoption communications.
Have questions about Caswell Beach Turtle Watch? Find us on Facebook or email us at caswellbeachturtle@gmail.com.
**This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 26ST03).
YOU CAN HELP! If you see a sea turtle mama coming onto the beach and and attempting to nest, please call our hotline immediately (910-368-6323) to notify us. During sea turtle season, we monitor 24/7. Please educate your family, friends, neighbors and especially – your renters. ALWAYS feel free to reach out to us if there is a concern, or you have questions. (All contact info is at the top of the page.)