Public sea turtle nest excavation on Ocracoke Island uncovers three live baby sea turtles

Beachgoers who came to a public sea turtle nest excavation on Ocracoke Island on Monday morning, August 28, were rewarded for their efforts and tolerance of the hot weather, thanks to a close encounter with three baby green sea turtles that were discovered during the excavation process.

Every summer, sea turtles visit the beaches of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands to lay their eggs. This year, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore has had a total of 369 nests reported along the local shorelines so far, with many nests now starting to hatch on a regular basis.

One of the ways that National Park Service (NPS) staff assist these turtles is by gathering data after each nest hatches. During the excavation process, a park biologist will dig up the recently hatched nest, count the empty shells, and collect unhatched eggs for research. On occasion, live baby turtles are also found in the deep and sandy nests, and they are collected and released in the quieter evening hours, when hatching typically occurs.

On Monday’s Ocracoke Island excavation, 110 eggs were uncovered, including 24 unhatched eggs, and the three baby sea turtles that wowed the crowd. “That’s an 82% hatch success rate, which is really very good,” said NPS Ranger Amy Thompson.

Monday’s sea turtle nest excavation was the first public excavation event on Ocracoke Island in 2023.

Public excavations are held by the NPS whenever possible, but they can be difficult to plan on Ocracoke Island, as nests are often located on isolated stretches of shoreline that can be tricky to access. In this case, the nest that had recently hatched was located just north of the Pony Pen parking area, which made it an ideal site for a public event.

The excavation was also unique in that it entailed only one of five green sea turtle nests currently on Ocracoke Island, out of 111 total nests.

The majority of nests on Ocracoke Island are Loggerhead sea turtles, although there is one still-incubating Leatherback sea turtle nest on the island, which is the first Leatherback nest to be laid on Ocracoke in 11 years.

To learn about additional upcoming public nest excavations on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, call the sea turtle nest excavation hotline at 252-475-9629.

In the meantime, beachgoers are asked to take a few steps to protect the ongoing wave of sea turtle nests that are now hatching on a regular basis.

• Please fill in any holes in the sand, and remove beach equipment, (such as umbrellas and tents), from the beach when you leave, especially if they are near an established nest. If left on the beach, holes and left-behind beach gear can prevent nesting attempts, and can also be roadblocks for hatchlings who are trying to make a mad dash to the ocean.
• In addition, hatchlings are very sensitive to light as they emerge from their nests, and can become disoriented towards any light that mimics the moon or stars over the ocean. As such, visitors staying in oceanfront accommodations that are close to established sea turtle nests are encouraged to turn off their outdoor lights and close their blinds or drapes after dark, so that the sea turtles don’t mistake a stray porch light for the ocean waters.
• Although it’s late in the nesting season, visitors who notice any sea turtle nesting activity can also call the Cape Hatteras National Seashore to report the sighting at 252-216-6892.