You are here

Home » Sea Turtles Set Nesting Record At Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Sea Turtles Set Nesting Record At Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Share
By NPT Staff - July 17th, 2019
Green sea turtle at Cape Hatteras National Seashore/NPS

Green sea turtle at Cape Hatteras National Seashore/NPS

More than 300 sea turtles have come ashore to nest this year at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks, a record that could continue to grow with more than a month left in the nesting season.

Back in 2015 the old record was set with 289 nests, but since then the turtles have been coming to shore in waves. The 326 nests counted through Monday surpasses by one the turtle nests found in 2016. 

Sea turtle nest numbers (as of July 16 at 12 p.m.):

  • Loggerhead sea turtle: 317
  • Green sea turtle: 11
  • Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle: 1 

"We are encouraged by the increasing numbers of sea turtles using Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches to nest,” said Tracy Ziegler, chief of resource management and science, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina. “According to our estimates, almost 11,000 sea turtle eggs have been deposited in beaches on Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke islands.”

Visitors are cautioned to be aware of sea turtle nesting activity, or hatchlings. If you see turtle tracks, nesting activity, or hatchlings, notify park biologists by calling the stranding hotline at 252-216-6892.

The majority of current sea turtle nests aren’t expected to impact recreational access along the seashore. 

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.