CAPE HATTERAS NATIONAL SEASHORE — The sea turtle nesting record at the national seashore has been broken for the third time in five years.
A nesting record of 289 nests was set in 2015, which was broken in 2016 when 325 sea turtle nests were found on Seashore beaches.
Sponsor Spotlight
Now, with more than a month remaining before the nesting season winds down, the record has again been broken with the discovery Monday of the 326th nest, according to the park service.
As of noon Tuesday, there had been 317 loggerhead sea turtle nests, 11 green sea turtle nests and one Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle nest.
“We are encouraged by the increasing numbers of sea turtles using Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches to nest,” Tracy Ziegler, Chief of Resource Management and Science for the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, said in a statement. “According to our estimates, almost 11,000 sea turtle eggs have been deposited in beaches on Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke islands.”
The majority of sea turtle nests aren’t expected to impact recreational access. For updated beach access information visit the park service website.
While visiting the seashore, if turtle tracks, nesting activity or hatchlings are spotted, notify park biologists by calling the stranding hotline at 252-216-6892.
Sponsor Spotlight
