Rescue & Rehab
N.E.S.T. has its roots in helping injured and sick turtles. In the mid 90’s N.E.S.T. founders led by our first president Millie Overman, wanted to focus on the rehabilitation of turtles who had already beat the terrible odds of surviving those first few days and years of turtle life. They soon found that the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island had no facilities to treat injured turtles. The first injured turtles were treated in the living rooms of N.E.S.T. volunteers. Eventually, funds were secured by N.E.S.T. for a small turtle treatment facility at the aquarium. In 2014, that humble facility was replaced by the new Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center at the Aquarium on Roanoke Island. NEST volunteers still help care for turtles there.
N.E.S.T. is also responsible for rescuing and transporting sick and injured sea turtles to the STAR Center. N.E.S.T. receives on its 24 hour hotline hundreds of calls a year from beachgoers reporting turtle sittings. Each of those calls is screened and then investigated by N.E.S.T. volunteers. Volunteers will then transport turtles needing treatment to the STAR Center. During winter months at times of abrupt water temperature drops, N.E.S.T. has rescued hundreds of turtles stunned by the cold water and stranded in Pamlico Sound. Many of these turtles are transported to the STAR Center. We also necropsy and collect samples from dead turtles to help researchers find out more about sea turtles.
Image | Name | Age/Species | Strand Date / Location | Cause of Strand | Weight | Outcome |
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#66 Cc-WPT-191216-01 Honey Nut | Juvenile Loggerhead | 12-16-2019 Salvo | cold stun | 47 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#6 Cm-RJT-200118-01 Franken Berry | Juvenile Green | 1-18-2020 Avon | cold stun | 5.9 kg | Released 7/22/2020 Coquina Beach |
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#11 Cm-FGW-200120-01 Fruity Pebbles | Juvenile Green | 1-20-2020 Buxton | cold stun | 2.55 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#40 Cm-SWH-200121-04 Cap’n Crunch | Juvenile Green | 1-21-2020 Buxton | cold stun | 3.65 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#42 Lk-PES-200121-01 Boo Berry | Juvenile Kemps Ridley | 1-21-2020 Avon | cold stun | 3.3 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#51 Cm-LLB-200121-01 Coco Pebbles | Juvenile green | 1-21-2020 Buxton | cold stun | 2.8 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#59 Cm-FVP-200121-05 Alpha Bits | Juvenile Green | 1-21-2020 Frisco | cold stun | 2.2 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#90 Cm-FVP-200121-15 Colossal Crunch | Juvenile Green | 1-21-2020 Buxton | cold stun | 2.57 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#133 Cm-FGW-200122-03 Eggo | Juvenile Green | 1-22-2020 Hatteras | cold stun | 3.15 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#157 Lk-FGW-200123-05 Mini Swirlz | Juvenile Kemps Ridley | 1-23-2020 Ocracoke | cold stun | 2.25 kg | Released Coquina Beach 9/2/2020 |
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#161 Cm-RXF-200124-01 Trix | Juvenile Green | 1-24-2020 Ocracoke | cold stun | 2.3 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#170 Cm-FGW-200222-02 Special K | Juvenile Green | 2-22-2020 Buxton | cold stun | 3.15 kg | Released 7/1/2020 Coquina Beach |
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#171 Cm-MLL-200222-02 Mini Wheats | Juvenile Green | 2-22-2020 Hatteras | cold stun | 2.95 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#172 Cm-MLL-200222-03 Crispix | Juvenile green | 2-22-2020 Avon | cold stun | 2.85 kg | Released 7/1/2020 Coquina Beach |
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#174 Cm-LLB-200402-01 Rice Krispies | Juvenile Green | 4-2-2020 Hatteras | unknown | 3.3 kg | Released 7/22/2020 Coquina Beach |
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#175 Cc-MLL-200426-01 Cookie Crisp | Juvenile Loggerhead | 4-26-2020 Duck | unknown | 35 kg | Released 7-1-2020 Coquina Beach |
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#176 Cm-PKD-200430-01 Krave | Juvenile green | 4-30-2020 Salvo | unknown | 2.25 kg | Released 7/22/2020 Coquina Beach |
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#177 Cm-LAW-200501-01 Honeycomb | Juvenile Green | 5-1-2020 Waves | unknown | 2.7 kg | Released 7/1/2020 Coquina Beach |
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#178 Cm-FGW-200509-01 Honey Smacks | Juvenile Green | 5-9-2020 Buxton | unknown | 2.5 kg | Released 10/6/2020 Coquina Beach |
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#179 Lk-JXR-200510-01 Maple | sub adult Kemps Ridley | 5-10-2020 Hatteras | Entanglement | 45 kg | released 5/28/2020 Avon Beach |
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#180 CMMXB20060501 Vanilly Crunch | Juvenile Green | 6/5/2020 Buxton | unknown - thin and dehydrated | 6 kg | Released |
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#182 CM-MXB-200602-01 Vanilly Crunch | Juvenile Green | 6/5/2020 | Damage to carapace from barnacles and anemic | 5 kg | Released |
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#183 CC-BCG-200728-01 Smacks | Loggerhead | 7/28/2020 | Ghost net entanglement | Released 10/6/2020 Coquina Beach | |
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#184 CC-BCG-200728-02 Toast Crunch | Loggerhead | 7/28/2020 | Ghost net entranglement | 33.6 kg | Released |
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#185 CC-AEB-200805-01 | Loggerhead | 8/05/2020 | Upper respiratory infection, found floating; not swallowing well needs to be force fed | 40.8 kg | |
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#186 – CCKFW20083001 Honey Bunches | Loggerhead | 8/30/200 near Nags Head Pier | Anemic, low iron and hypoglycemic; traumatic amputation of rt front flipper nearly healed | 77 kg | Released |
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#188 – 2020 | juvenile loggerhead | November 2020 | injured eye and weak |