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Topsail Island has 26 miles of coastline.
Each mile is surveyed every morning to identify sea turtle tracks and nests from May through August.
SEA TURTLES  DIG THE DARK
Please keep oceanfront lighting to a minimum.  Lights disorient nesting mothers and lead hatchlings away from the sea, a trip they cannot survive.
In North Carolina the nesting season is mid-May through August.
The Loggerhead Sea Turtle comes ashore to nest 3 to 5 times during a nesting year.
She deposits an average of 120 eggs per nest.
The eggs will incubate in the sand for about 60 days.


After all the hatchlings have pipped out of their eggs, 
they emerge from the nest together and race to the sea.
Weighing in at about two ounces, their first challenge on our beach
is escaping the deadly grasp of the ghost crabs.
Once in the water they must hide from both bird and fish predators, 
and the swim to sea weed rafts and the Sargasso Sea begins.

It is a long swim to maturity.
It is estimated that 1 in 1000 survives the first year,
and as few as 1 in 5,000 - 10,000 survive to adulthood.
No one has the answer to this.
In 20 to 30 years the surviving hatchlings will reach adulthood.
The females will return to their natal beaches to lay their eggs and the cycle begins again.

5 sec video clip 1
 

5 sec video clip 2
 
Surprise daylight visitor
 This sea turtle came to nest about 5 PM.
She left behind nest 125 eggs.
The turtle photos  link  to short video clips. 
In the first clip, the turtle has deposited her eggs, 
filled in and covered the egg chamber, 
and is in the process of throwing sand over the nest area.
In the second, the turtle crawls back to the sea.
As a rule, Loggerhead sea turtles come ashore to nest after dark.
These photos were obtained using a telephoto lens.


  Hatching season draws to a close.
Thanks to the beach crew for their dedication this summer and fall.

Beach Patrol 2008

TB = Topsail Beach    SC = Surf City (north/south of bridge)   NTB = North Topsail Beach ( north/south of bridge)
Activity  
Date        
Nest #     
False Crawl # Location   
Hatch Date #Eggs/#Hatch
1
 May16
1
 TB

2
 May 20
2
 NTB-s

3
 May 21
3
 NTB-s

4
 May 21
4
 NTB-s

5
 May 22
5
 NTB-s

6
 May 22
6
 NTB-s

7
 May 22
7
 NTB-s

8
 May 22
8
 NTB-s

9
 May 23
 1
NTB-s July 31
 190 / 171
10
 May 23
9
 NTB-s

11
 May 25
 2
NTB-n
1238 NRI
 July 31
 188 / 170
12
 May 25
10
 TB

13
 May 26
11
 SC-n

14
 May 26
 3
NTB-n
1625 NRI
 Aug 2
 134 / 118
15
 May 27
 4
NTB-n
550 NRI
 July 28
 133 / 115
16
 May 27
12
 NTB-s

17
 May 27
 5
NTB-s
346 seashore
 July 27
 127 / 114
18
 May 28
13
 SC-s

19
 May 28
 6
NTB-n
marina way
 Aug 1
 139 / 111
20
 May 29
 7
TB
barwick
 Aug 1
 154 / 136
21
 May 30
 8
SC-s
1306 s shore
 July 31
   95 /   90
22
 May 30
 9
NTB-n
1411 NRI
 Aug 2
 113 / 119
23
 May 30
14
 NTB-n

24
 May 31
 10
NTB-s
4004 island dr
 July 29
 142 / 91
25
 June 4
 11
NTB-N
1275 NRI
 July 31
 139 / 113
26
 June 6
 12
SC-s
2414 S Shore
 Aug 1
 138 / 122
27
 June 7
 13
SC-s
1206 s shore
 Aug 5
 100 / 97
28
 June 9
 14
SC-s
1812 s shore
 Aug 7
 172 / 157
29
 June 9
 15
NTB-s
3588 island
 Aug 9
 179 / 155
30
 June 10
15
 SC-s

31
 June 11
16
 TB

32
 June 11
 16
TB
Access 18
 Aug 10
 124 / 123
33
 June 11
17
 NTB-n

34
 June 11
 17
NTB-n
1411 NRI
 Aug 11
 146 / 139
35
 June 12
18
 NTB-n

36
 June 12
 18
NTB-n
mason ct
 Aug 10
 119 / 115
37
 June 13
19
 NTB-s

38
 June 13
 19
NTB-s
3990 island
 8-9
 127 / 60
39
 June 14
 20
NTB-s
4412 island dr
 Aug 6
 155 / 145
40
 June 14
 21
NTB-s
3538 island
 Aug 13
  82 / 74
41
 June 15
 22
SC-s
2905 s shore
 Aug 11
 158 / 146
42
 June 15
 23
NTB-s
516 ocean
 Aug 13
 102 / 68
43
 June 16
 24
NTB-n
marina way
 Aug 13
 130 / 127
44
 June 16
 25
NTB-s
138 topsail rd
 Aug 8
 113 / 94
45
 June 17
 26
NTB-n
marina way
 Aug 13
 134 / 130
46
 June 17
20
 NTB-n

47
 June 17
21
 SC-n

48
 June 17
 27
SC-n
1807 n shore
 Aug 17
 112 / 106
49
 June 18
 28
NTB-n
marina way
 Aug 13
 119 / 112
50
 June 20
 29
TB
 Aug 14
 Fox predation
51
 June 21
22
 TB

52
 June 22
 30
SC-s
1022 s shore
 Aug 19
 147 / 133
53
 June 22
23
 SC-s

54
 June 23
 31
NTB-s
3670 island
 Aug 21
 165 / 118
55
 June 24
 32
SC-n
1901 n shore
 Aug 12
 108 / 100
56
 June 24
24
 SC-n

57
 June 24
25
 SC-n

58
 June 24
26
 SC-n

59
 June 25
27
 NTB-n

60
 June 26
 33
NTB-s
4122 island
 Aug 20
 137 / 132
61
 June 26 34
NTB-n
marina way 1737 nri
 Aug 22
 146 / 133
62
 June 26 35
NTB-s
3606 island
 Aug 24
 125 / 104
63
 June 27
 36
NTB-n
goldsboro
 no hatch
 fox predation
64
 June 28
28
 NTB-n

65
 June 28
29
 NTB-n

66
 June 28
30
 NTB-s

67
 June 28 37
SC-s
300 s shore
 Aug 19
  97 /  89
68
 June 28 38
SC-s
3003 s shore
 Aug 25
 125 / 117
69
 June 29
 39
NTB-s
4204 island
 Aug 26
  88 / 82
70
 June 29 40
NTB-n
1174 NRI
 Sept 1
 130 / 124
71
 June 29
31
 NTB-n

72
 June 29 41
NTB-s
3686 island
 Aug 21
 152 / 142
73
 June 29
32
 SC-n

74
 June 30
 42
NTB-s
st moritz
 Aug 30
 136 / 73
75
 June 30
33
 NTB-s

76
 July 1
 43
NTB-n
4368 Island dr
 Aug 29
  70 / 61
77
 July 3
 44
SC-s
1412 s shore
 Sept 1
 128 / 122
78
 July 5
 45
SC-s
3000 s shore
 Aug 31
 154 / 153
79
 July 6
 46
 34
 TB
serenity point
 false crawl
80
 July 7
 46
NTB-s
3060 island dr
 9-5-08
 118 / 125
81
 July 8
 47
NTB-s
442 ocean
 Sept 3
 123 / 95
82
 July 10
 48
SC-n
308 n shore
 Aug 31
 118 / 81
83
 July 10
 49
NTB-s
 false crawl
84
 July 11
35
 TB

85
 July 11
36
 SC-s

86
 July 11 50
SC-n
1705 n shore
 Sept 8
  90 / 87
87
 July 11 51
NTB-n
601 nri
 Sept 5
 145 / 141
88
 July 12
 52
TB
Access 18
 Sept 5
  96 / 93
89
 July 12
37
 TB

90
 July 12
38
 TB

91
 July 12 53
NTB-s
3606 island
 Sept 9
 120 / 111
92
 July 12
39
 NTB-n

93
 July 12 pm
 54
NTB-s
3690 island
 hanna no emergence
 149 / 0
94
 July 13
 55
NTB-n
1156 nri
 Sept 9
  90 / 81
95
 July 13
 56
SC-s
2714 s shore
 Sept 3
 145 / 150
96
 July 13
 57
NTB-s
3900 island
 Sept 9
 111 / 128
97
 July 13
40
 NTB-s

98
 July 14
 58
NTB-s
4256 island
 Sept 5
  75 / 72
99
 July 14
41
 NTB-n

100
 July 15
 59
TB
townline
 Sept 4
 137 / 133
101
 July 15
42
 TB

102
 July 15
 61
 43
 NTB-s
142 ocean/sound
 No hatch
False crawl
103
 July 16
 60
SC-s
1814 s shore
 Sept 12
 133 / 128
104
 July 16
 61
NTB-s
4346 island
 Sept 9
 134 / 127
105
 July 16 pm
 62
SC-n
surf condos
 Sept 13
  74 / 72
106
 July 18
44
 TB

107
 July 19
 63
TB
111 s anderson
 Sept 13
 105 / 100
108
 July 20 pm
45
 TB

109
 July 21
 64
SC-s
2410 s shore
 Sept 14
 123 / ? predated
110
 July 21
 65
NTB-s
549 ocean
 Sept  11
 110 / 84
111
 July 21
 66
SC-n
1905 n shore
 Sept 8
 123 / 110
112
 July 21
46
 TB

113
 July 21 pm
47
 SC-s

114
 July 22
48
 SC-s

115
 July 22
 67
TB
700 n anderson
 Sept 16
 100 / 94
116
 July 23
 68
NTB-s
4464 island dr
 Sept  18
 136 / 115
117
 July 23
49
 NTB-s

118
 July 23
50
 NTB-s

119
 July 23 69
NTB-s
128 topsail rd
 no hatch
 Wash Out 9-25
120
 July 23
51
 NTB-s

121
 July 23
52
 NTB-s

122
 July 24
53
 NTB-n

123
 July 24
 70
NTB-n
1784 nri
 9-24
 141 / 54
124
 July 24
 71
NTB-s
topsail rd & 18th
 9-21
 105 / 100
125
 July 25
 72
SC-s
1124 s shore
 Sept 18
126
 July 25
 73
NTB-n
bay ct
 Sept  20
 112 / 110
127
 July 26
54
 NTB-s

128
 July 26 74
NTB-s
3804 island
 Sept 17
 117/100
129
 July 26 75
NTB-n
388 nri
 Sept 18
  97 / 88
130
 July 26 76
SC-n
1415 n shore
 Sept 19
  97 / 94
131
 July 26 77
SC-s
2723 s shore
 Sept 13
 161 / 143
132
 July 26 78
SC-s
2815 s shore
 Sept 15
 116 / 88
133
 July 26 79
TB
1175 n anderson
 Sept 15
 102 / 97
134
 July 27
55
 NTB-s

135
 July 27
 80
NTB-n
412 hampton colony
 Sept 25
 101 / 53
136
 July 28
56
 NTB-n

137
 July 29
 81
NTB-n
625 nri
 no hatch
 Wash out 9-25
138
 July 30
57
 TB

139
 July 30
58
 TB

140
 July 30
 82
SC-s
1704 s shore
 no hatch
 Wash out 9-25
141
 Aug 3
 83
SC-s
2712 s shore
 no hatch
 Wash out 9-25
142
 Aug 3
 84
TB
1403 ocean
 9-24
  80 / 66
143
 Aug 5
 85
TB
access 5
 9-29
 129 / 97
144
 Aug 6
 86
NTB-s
3760 island
 no hatch
 Wash out 9-25
145
 Aug 7
59
 NTB-s

146
 Aug7
 87
NTB-s
4318 ocean
 Partial loss 9-25
Partial Hatch 10-4
 * 57 / 30
147
 Aug 10
60
 NTB-s

148
 Aug 10
 88
NTB-s
4132 island
 no hatch
 Wash out 9-25
149
 Aug 14
61
 NTB-n

150
 Aug 18
 89
NTB-n
ocean/bay villas
 no hatch
 Wash out 9-25
151
 Aug 20
62
 NTB-s

152
 Aug 21
 90
NTB-s
3814 island dr
 no hatch
 Wash out 9-25




YEAR
TOTAL #
Crawls
 # Nests
# False Crawls
# Eggs
# Live Hatchlings
# Unhatched Eggs
# Dead Hatchlings
2008
 152
 89
 63
 8530
 6756
 1102
318
* data incomplete
6 nests lost
354+ lost eggs
2007
 111
 61
 50
 7,146
 5,152
 1,832
 162
2006
 166
 94
 72
 9,838*
 7,750
 1.179
289
* date incomplete, 20 nests lost hurricane ernesto
2005 105
 72
 43
 7,460
 5,107
 1,244
208
*901 missing eggs, hurricane ophelia
2004
98
55
43
6,783
5,349
1,219
215
2003
134
80
54
9,882
8,260
1,531
91
2002
162
86
76
10,307
8,866
1,246
195
2001
130
79
51
  9,045
7,721
1,271
53
Volunteers can keep in touch
by joining our  list!
Please go to - http://groups.msn.com/TopsailSeaTurtle
and sign in.  This is a members only list.
To send an email to the list:
TopsailSeaTurtle@groups.msn.com
 

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