The month of May kicked off the official start of sea turtle nesting season in North Carolina. During the months of May, June, July, and August, sea turtles will crawl ashore along the coast of North Carolina to lay their nests. A nesting mother will nest as many as five times in one summer and lay approximately 100 eggs in each nest.
Remember these tips for help keep our beaches safe for nesting mother sea turtles:
- Turn off or cover ocean-facing lights after dark. Sea turtles dig the dark.
- Never leave litter, beach chairs, tents, umbrellas, or other items on the beach. These items become entrapment, choking, and entanglement hazards to sea turtles.
- Re-fill any holes you dig at the beach. Sea turtles are great swimmers but crawling on sand is difficult and they cannot easily dig themselves out of a hole.
- If you see a nesting sea turtle, do not approach or disturb her. A frightened sea turtle will crawl back into the ocean without laying her eggs.
- If you see a stranded or injured sea turtle anywhere in North Carolina, call 252-241-7367. This is a state-wide turtle emergency number.
- If you see a stranded or injured sea turtle in Wrightsville Beach, call 833-4-TURTLE. This is our emergency hotline.
- For tips on how to recognize nesting sea turtle tracks, please click here.
Thanks for helping us make 2018 a successful nesting season for the turtles!
