Sea turtle nesting season is here. What you can do to protect these tiny creatures.
Sea turtle nesting season is here. There are approximately 330 miles of ocean-facing sandy beaches in North Carolina that provide suitable nesting habitat for sea turtles, and the turtles have been coming ashore to lay their eggs.
The StarNews recently interviewed coordinator Suzan Bell with the Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program to see what people can do to protect the hatchlings/sea turtles.
What is you organization? The Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program, founded in 1989, is an all-volunteer nonprofit environmental and conservation organization whose mission is to monitor and protect the sea turtle population that visits the Oak Island beach strand and to foster community-based conservation, education, and preservation. The program is authorized by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to conduct its activities to monitor and protect sea turtles. The coordinators work closely with biologists from the commission to ensure that the guidelines and regulations are followed.
When is the sea turtle nesting season? The sea turtle season is from May 1 through Oct. 31 or until the last nest is excavated.
Are sea turtles protected species? Yes. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act was passed into law for both domestic and international conservation. (All sea turtles are listed under the Endangered Species Act). The act aims to provide a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats. States are provided with financial assistance and incentives to develop and maintain conservation programs.
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How many sea turtles are born during the nesting season? In 2021, there was 80 nests with 5,228 hatchlings that emerged out of the nests and into the ocean.
What are the different types of sea turtles around Southeastern North Carolina? Although there are seven species of sea turtles, the most common species found in North Carolina is the Loggerhead. North Carolina also can see Green, Kemp's Ridley, Leatherback and Hawksbill sea turtles.
How does your organization protect the hatchlings/sea turtles? The Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program is the only permitted program from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to care for and protect sea turtles that visit the beach. If called, the patrol team will go out at night to nesting turtles and make sure no one is disrupting the nesting process. The organization also does data on the turtle after she is finished with nesting to share important data with the state and seaturtle.org. The Patrol Team also rides each morning to locate turtle tracks on the beach and to check the nests for eggs. If eggs are found, the nest is marked with stakes and a sign, so the nest is not harmed, and the volunteers Global Positioning System the location. Once the nest is ready for the hatchlings to emerge, on the 50th day volunteers begin to sit at the nest in the evenings. Volunteers will set up a runway headed to the water to help the hatchlings have a clean, dark, and flat walk to the ocean. The volunteers also educate visitors on sea turtles, Oak Island, pick up trash and fill in holes in the sand in the nest area.
How can the public help? The volunteers ask that everyone please follow all rules and regulations from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the town of Oak Island, and the Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program. Please listen to and respect the volunteers. Please fill in holes when you are ready to leave the beach, remove your gear, pick up your trash, and leave the beach as natural as possible. If you see a nesting turtle, please, do not approach her. Stand back and watch from a distance. Do not shine lights on her or take flash photography. She will turn around and not lay a nest if she feels threatened or disrupted. Please call your local sea turtle program to let them know about any sea turtle activity (Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection, 910-945-8888 or the N.C. Sea Turtle Hotline at 252-241-7367).
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Sea turtle nesting season began May 1 and ends Oct. 31.
