Network for Endangered Sea Turtles 24 HR. HOTLINE 252-441-8622

It was a crazy morning for the N.E.S.T. hotline as 3 new nests were laid overnight.  Luckily our hotline personnel know how to quickly mobilize our volunteer response teams.  Team Lead Darlene J gets nest #24 team analyzing the crawl tracks and thrown sand to determine where eggs are hidden.

Nest #24 crawl and nesting site

In the picture below is a yellow rope marking the turtles crawl back to the ocean.  The rope also circles around the area of thrown sand.  It is underneath the thrown sand that mama turtle hid her egg chamber.  Using these pieces of information, Dixie digs down and finds eggs on her first try!

Locating the egg chamber

Once Dixie finds the eggs, volunteer Sarah jumps in to help clear the sand around the eggs.

Clearing sand around the nest chamber

The team takes measurements from the top of the sand to the first egg and begins the task of adding a data logger into the nest.  Below is a picture of a few eggs being removed from the nest so a data logger can be dropped into the middle of the eggs.  This will allow us to get hourly temperatures within the nest.  Sea turtles are temperature dependent.  They will develop based on the average temperature in the nest.  So if our nest is warmer it will develop a little faster than a cooler nest.

Adding a data logger in the middle of the eggs

This sea turtle did a great job laying her nest up close to the dune in a safe spot.  Thanks to our amazing response team for securing the nest for the next couple of months as the eggs develop into beautiful little hatchlings.

Nest 24 Response Team!

  • nest number: 24
  • town: Duck
  • date eggs laid: 07/21/2023
  • actual emergence date: 9/19/2023
  • live hatchlings: 115
  • total eggs: 127

See all active nests