The Sea Turtle Frenzy!

Every summer, folks in North Carolina get a little cuckoo for sea turtles.  I suppose it's because North Carolina's coasts are home to five of the world's seven sea turtle species!


Well I'm just a 59-year old landlubber who's grown accustomed to my maritime cousins getting most of the fame and glory.  And size doesn't always matter.   Even though loggerheads outweigh me by 100 times (300 lbs to 3 lbs), our brains are just about the same size!!!!

I visited Hammocks Beach State Park where four Sea Turtle interns carefully monitor almost 4 miles of coast each night from dusk till dawn!  When they see a sea turtle crawl ashore to nest, they enclose the nest in a protective cage to keep dogs, raccoons and foxes from interfering.  About 70 days later, up to 100 eggs hatch and the young sea turtles "boil out" of the sand.



I also visited the aquarium at Fort Fisher and talked to education staff about how I could help.  Apparently sea turtles use the brightest horizon (usually the ocean) to orient themselves at night. But bright street lights can confuse them.  Also, plastic bags that end up in the ocean look strikingly similar to jellyfish, a favorite food of some turtles.  Even landlubbers like you and I can make a difference!