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An orb weaver appears to don its Halloween skull mask. Photo: Mark Courtney

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A Gulf fritillary rests on a flower inside the Butterfly House at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington. Guests can roam the 2,700-square-foot native North Carolina butterfly house that is part of the extensive Airlie Gardens. Admission is required to enter the gardens but is free to New Hanover County residents the first Sunday of every month. Photo: Mark Courtney

NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH — A new type of barrier tape used to mark off turtle nests was unveiled in North Topsail Beach Wednesday, one that does more than simply cordon off an area.

The tape is made of a biodegradable material to keep plastics off our beaches, and it is a way to learn more about the creatures it protects.

Keith Dorman, founder and managing director of Love thy turtle, was on hand for the midday unveiling at Access No. 29 off Island Drive. To say Dorman is passionate about sea turtles may be an understatement. He flew into coastal North Carolina from South Florida for the event. The crew at Love thy turtle say they are dedicated to the protection and conservation of sea turtles and their habitats.

“I must confess, I love sea turtles,” Dorman said with a beaming grin during the press event held in conjunction with the unveiling.

Dorman and his team developed the eco-friendly turtle nest marker tape that features a QR code that allows anyone on the beach to scan it with their smartphone for access to more information about the nest in front of them and the organization working to protect it.

Scanning the code will take them to the sea turtle rescue organization in that area, in this case, the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach. Beachgoers can “adopt” sea turtles and make donations with all proceeds going to the Beasley Center from their website.

Terry Meyer, deputy and conservation director at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, said that Love thy turtle initially provided six rolls of the marker tape free of charge. So far, the first tape marking active sea turtle nests has been up for six months and shows no signs of degradation.

The Beasley Center received additional tape Wednesday to get them through the rest of the 2023 nesting season, also free of charge.

Meyer noted the tape is reusable. “We can just roll it up after use,” she said. “It is not a hazard in the ocean if washes away.”

And the QR code allows the crew at the center to concentrate on saving turtles, rather than answering the phone.

“People can now get information with a smartphone instead of having to call us,” Meyer said. “They are able to get information on local sea turtles directly on the beach and specific local information on our center.”

Meyer said she was impressed on Dorman’s zeal to get information about sea turtles to the public.

The tape is intended to draw awareness and educate, Dorman said.

Dorman spoke about a turtle in the Loggerhead Marine Life Center, a nonprofit West Palm Beach, Florida, sea turtle rescue organization. The turtle had passed about 20 pieces of plastic during its first 24 hours there.

“I have to do something,” he said, visibly moved by the experience. “I wanted to create the tape with the QR code so that people can adopt the turtle and find out all the facts, and it becomes an information hub.”

It’s also a way for people to support the organizations that work to save sea turtles.

“The QR code scanning takes people to the Love thy turtle map site, and on that page there is an icon that will take them to the nearest adoption center website,” Dorman. “We don’t touch any of the money, it goes directly to the local center.”

As the group explained, female sea turtles have for millions of years returned to the beaches where they were hatched to make their nests and lay their eggs. Officials estimate only one in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. That’s why Dorman and Meyer say it is vital that nests are protected to help improve the odds.

Over the last decade or so, the sea turtle population has declined by over 80%, Dorman said. He explained that in South Florida, they also mark sea turtle nests with yellow tape, but it was not enough protection.

“I was on the beach, and I heard a kid ask his mother, ‘Mommy, why are there so many dead bodies on this beach?’” Dorman said. “So I said, we really need to figure out a better way of letting people know what’s going on.”

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An orb-weaver spider sits in it’s intricate patterned web in the Porters Neck area just outside Wilmington. Photo: Mark Courtney

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Sunflowers are in full bloom at the Trask Family Farms Sunflower Maze at 3650 Blue Clay Road in Castle Hayne. Tickets are required to walk the 9-acre maze. Photo: Mark Courtney

I find great peace in the ever-changing place called the salt marsh.

The tides come and go. Marsh grass is sometimes fluorescent green, other times it’s devoid of color. At times the water appears crystal clear and at others it’s murky. The marsh, or tidal creek appears different as the light changes, fog rolls in or out. Sunrises or sunsets, moonrises or sets, I find solitude in the salt marsh.

There are hundreds of acres of marsh that I paddle on a stand-up paddleboard, an SUP for short. There is little to no sound from my craft that tops out at around 3 mph and is propelled by my single-blade paddle.

The vantage point of just over 6 feet above the water is where I observe some creatures that are just visitors and others that call the salt marsh their home. Some are there to breed, others to feed. I’m just passing through their habitat as an observer, sometimes with a camera to document and preserve the memories of my paddle.

The marsh is a place where I can observe Kooks to my right, Pogues to my left and I’m right in the middle just doing my own thing.

My children grew up there, I refuse to get old there. My children Alyson and Travis grew up on Pages Creek in northern New Hanover County just outside of the Wilmington city limits. They both were greatly influenced by the marsh and they both developed a respect and appreciation for the water.

My son was so moved by this natural environment that he became a marine biologist and is now teaching and doing research for the next generation so they can help preserve our precious resources.

My daughter lives near a beach on the West Coast. She loves to swim in the ocean when it rarely reaches a comfortable temperature, explores tide pools, runs along the coast and will take in a sunset whenever possible.

On my marsh excursions I have seen otters, sea turtle, dolphin, stingray, shark, terrapin, various jellyfish, bald eagle, osprey, deer, owl, tree frogs, heron, egret, migratory birds, spiders, snakes, a multitude of different fish, spitting oysters and a watercraft or two — or more – on which humans are normally speeding by on their way to somewhere else.

I first started paddling the marsh just over 25 years ago. My mode of transportation in the early years was a sea kayak. I’m also a surfer, so when stand-up paddleboards made their way to Wilmington, I was game for trying it.

The first SUPs were basically just large surfboards. I started out with one of this style board and throughout the years moved up to a displacement hull, which is much more efficient then the early basic SUPs. I can paddle much farther and more efficiently, effectively adding much more mileage to my trips.

My longest rigorous paddle was a 12-mile venture just to challenge myself on a really long paddle. My go-to routes are in the 6- to 8-mile range, which is a relaxing outing for me now.

I enjoy bringing first-time paddlers out into the water. I always paddle at their pace (as long as it’s not faster than I can paddle) so they can relax and not worry about overexerting themselves.

One first-timer was Edwin Toone, who is from Spain and in great shape. He did 6 miles his first time out. We were both treated to seeing a sea horse that day, about an inch in length, swimming in Banks Channel at Wrightsville Beach.

A unique experience was when I discovered a colony of bonnethead sharks behind Masonboro Island. It was a fun summer as I could paddle to my secret spot and normally see the smallest member of the hammerhead shark family within a few minutes.

The sharks spend winters several thousand miles south of here and migrate back every year for breeding and rearing their young.

Another time I was able to paddle with a 2-foot sea turtle pretty deep into the marsh and ran across an otter that wanted nothing to do with me, but it was a treat to see.

Marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols writes in his book, “Blue Mind,” that we humans benefit from spending time in, on under and near water. He writes that “the water experience can make you happier, healthier, more connected, and better at what you do.”

I know that when I spend time surfing or paddling I come back to dry land with a much calmer feeling. It’s somewhat similar to the runners high I used to get by putting in a solid run, that is before my knees decided they did not appreciate the pounding from the sport.

The book states that “Blue Mind, a mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity, and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment.”

It also mentions that, “We know instinctively that being by water makes us healthier, happier, reduces stress, and brings us peace.” I completely agree.

The most exotic sea creature I have seen so far was a spotted eagle sting ray. It looks as though it could have just swam in from tropical waters. At about 4 1/2 feet of wingspan, it was a good-sized ray.

While I have found great solitude in the marsh, my new favorite paddle is with my girlfriend, Cara Bloom. We create our own Sunday brunch by packing some fruit and sandwiches along with a few towels to spread out on the sand. We’ll paddle to our own private beach and let the birds sing us a serenade and provide an airshow. It’s a much better way to brunch than any I’ve ever experienced.

This winter was the first time I went oystering on my board. I could paddle in to waters too shallow for most boats so early season bore plentiful large salty oysters. I would load up a 5-gallon bucket with approximately a half-bushel of the tasty bivalve mollusks to later eat raw or steamed the same day I harvested them, so the flavor was magnificent.

While I have never heard crawdads sing out in my salt marsh, the paddle never gets old.