The Scoop on Sea Turtles
Here on the Crystal Coast we are lucky to enjoy a few varieties of sea turtles who nest on our beaches. From May through the end of October, you will find turtle nests scattered across the beach. The Sea Turtle Patrol on Indian Beach and Emerald Isle spend a lot of time each year educating the public and protecting nests and hatchlings. Below I’ve added some highlights of information, but if you want to learn more, I would recommend visiting the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol website, as they have curated information for the local area, FAQs, and kids activities.
What is the Sea Turtle Patrol?
Both Emerald Isle and Indian Beach/Salter Path have dedicated teams of volunteers who are trained handle sea turtle care and safety. Each year they complete mandatory training to be able to assist our turtles with safe nesting and hatching. While volunteers typically do not intervene with natural processes, they will locate and monitor active nests, perform rescues for sick or stranded turtles, and play an important role in tracking nests and hatch rates which allows us to understand the local population. They also spend time educating the public on sea turtles, sea turtle safety, and best practices.
What types of sea turtles nest on the Crystal Coast?
The Crystal Coast typically sees Loggerhead sea turtles and occasionally Green sea turtles. The Loggerheads are about 3.5 feet long and can weigh up to 350 lbs! Green turtles are even larger at 4 feet long and 440 lbs. Occasionally other varieties of turtles have been spotted, like Leatherbacks (up to 1,200 lbs!), Kemp’s Ridley, and Hawksbill.
How can we keep the sea turtles safe during nesting and hatching season?
Fill in all holes upon leaving the beach so the mother turtles don’t get stuck on their long crawl to nest.
No bright lights on the beach at night. This includes flash photography and flashlights. The lights disturb the mothers and can hinder baby turtles on their journey to the water after hatching.
Do not interact with turtles or their nests. The sea turtle patrol will put up caution tape around identified nests to keep them safe during the busy summer. Please be respectful of these areas and do not enter the caution tape.
What do we do if we see a turtle or crawl tracks?
If you see a turtle nesting, a hatching nest, hatchlings on the beach, or a stranded sea turtle, call the Indian Beach police department at (252) 247-6700 immediately to be connected to the Sea Turtle Patrol.
P.S. For those with clever eyes, the sea turtle pictured is actually a Hawaiian Green sea turtle. Turns out I don’t have any of my own pictures of our local resident turtles!