Along the coastline and Outer Banks of North Carolina we are privileged to still be able to see these magnificent creatures both in our waters and on the seashore as they come to nest. The Cape Lookout National Seashore Sea Turtle Monitoring Program and their volunteers conducts daytime monitoring to find nest sites, protects these sites, relocates nests in danger of being flooded and protects hatchings.
Last year (2004) the average nest contained 104 eggs, and 77 sites were documented. The average number of sites for a year is 131. The year 2004 had the lowest number of sites since 1988. Because of Hurricane Alex and several other storms, 36 nests were washed away or failed to hatch due to flooding.
Another organization, The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, is a sea turtle sanctuary committed to the care and release of sick and injured sea turtles. This private, nonprofit organization rescues injured sea turtles, provides medical care for them, educates the public (children love to visit the turtles) and provides a training ground for vet students from around the world.
The website for the "turtle hospital" is one of the most interesting ones to be found about sea turtles. As turtles are rescued, they are named, photographed and their picture placed on the website. Their diagnosis, treatment and even diet are entered on the site and pictures are added as they progress ending with pictures of their release back to the ocean. It is a wonderful way for those visiting the sight to fall in love with the sea turtle!
A TURTLE STORY
The ponderous female sea turtle cautiously lumbers out of the ocean and onto the moonlit beach. For the past several years she has been safe in the ocean's depths, her enormous size a deterrent to all predators save the shark.
Now, on land, she is completely vulnerable to her only real enemy - man. The sea turtle will a dig a hole in the sand with her hind flippers and lay more than a hundred eggs. While laying, the turtle sighs and weeps salty tears which rinse the sand from her eyes and rid the body of excess salts. Afterwards she will cover her eggs with sand in an attempt to protect them.
If not discovered during the next five to six weeks by poachers or by natural predators such as raccoons, each embryo grows into fully developed little sea turtles. The turtles use their temporary to scratch a hole into their shells and rest for several days, conserving their energies for the great escape.
Several nights later the two ounce hatchlings frantically battle their way to the surface until the sandy roof caves in, and together they steer a desperate course directly for the ocean they have never before seen. Once the hatchlings have broken through the sand they head toward the moon light. If the moon is not over the water or if artificial light (such as a bright porch light) they become confused and head in the wrong direction and are vernable to natural predators around them. Volunteers monitor the nests so the hatchlings are protected and helped to the ocean. It is estimated that only one in ten thousand eggs survive to become adult turtles.
We hope you have enjoyed learning more about the sea turtle. If you would like to find more information, click on the links below. These websites also provide information concerning making a tax deductible donation.so you can be a part of saving the turtle.
www.capelookoutstudies.org
www.seaturtlehospital.org
For those turtle lover residents of North Carolina the license plate below can be purchased at the Department of Motor Vehicles. A portion of your payment is given to The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.
For sea turtle hats, T-shirts and sweatshirts visit the gift shop at the link above for the sea turtle hospital.
