Network for Endangered Sea Turtles

Steps You can Take to Help

●   Do not crowd or get in the way of a nesting sea female as she is emerging from or returning to the sea.  Do not shine any lights on or around her head or she may abandon her effort to nest.  No flash photography.  Sit quietly away from her during the nesting process.




●   Turn off outside ocean-facing porch lights, inside and all other lights during hatching events.  Sea turtle hatchlings will head towards your house lights and die rather than head to the sea and have the opportunity to become mature sea turtles.


●   Stay away from the head of a live sea turtle.   They have very powerful jaws that can break shellfish.  You can imagine what a sea turtle can do to a human.



●   Do not disturb sea turtle nest markers.  Obey these signs and please stay out of marked areas.







●   Leave sea turtle nest sites undisturbed.  Do not crowd, disturb, or pick up hatchlings as make their way to the ocean.  If you sea a sea turtle hatchling, call the N.E.S.T. Hotline 252-441-8622





●   Remove beach litter. Balloons, plastic bags, Styrofoam and other non-degradable pollutants cause the deaths of many sea turtles as the turtles mistake these items for food.  Stack or remove all beach furniture at the end of the day.


●   Keep pets on a leash and away from sea turtles and their nests.


●   Daytime sandcastles become nighttime turtle traps! Please fill in holes and flatten all sandcastle structures before leaving the beach.

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