2016 sea turtle nest #4

YOU MAY BE WONDERING why the Nesting News posts are changing so frequently? (Although you can view the past posts under the RECENT POSTS category at www.nestonline.org). It is because the 2016 sea turtle nesting season is in a early full swing.

UNBELIEVEABLE, but true the day following nest #3 another sea turtle nest is found. Nags Head ATV driver Rick Baird a.k.a. Ricky to all his friends followed simple instructions to find a sea turtle nest today and that he did in Nags Head.

Because of the early morning downpour the crawl tracks were not very distinct, but the wild and crazy tracks of Mama Loggerhead were there. After nesting it is evident that mama encountered a man made pile of sand which may have slowed her progress back to the ocean. A reminder when leaving the beach,  please fill in all holes in the sand, remove your sand castle and take your beach gear off the beach.

When the nest response team arrived, Ricky was off to finish his run with hopes of finding another nest. The team began their measurements and possible location for the exact spot of the nest. Digging began and Les was the proud finder of the DNA egg which will be sent for analysis to determine if mama turtle laid multiple nests and if so where she has done so.

Since the sea turtle nest was near the tide line discussion was as to relocate the nest (which is removing all the eggs and moving them to a higher spot) or leaving the nest in situ (keeping it the same place as discovered) and the decision was made not to move the nest.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so no more words other than mama sea turtle has entrusted all of us beach goers to watch over her eggs and do the best that we can to see her young ones make it safely to ocean waters.