On the morning of Sunday, July 8, Wrightsville Beach Sea Turtle Project’s president and volunteer coordinator Nancy Fahey received a call from a Wrightsville Beach police officer.
There was significant erosion on the beach strand between Johnnie Mercer’s Pier and Stone Street following that morning’s high tide, the officer said, and beachgoers had noticed what looked like sea turtle eggs washing out to the ocean.
Fahey said she immediately headed to that area, where she discovered that two young people who had been on the beach were able to rescue 44 eggs.
“That nest was somehow missed, which is unfortunate but can sometimes happen,” Fahey said. “For instance, if a turtle comes in during high tide, its tracks can be washed away. And when there are lots of big holes on the beach, one can look like another.”
Fahey said the rescued eggs were relocated to a safe place on another part of the beach, and that they were “hoping for the best.”
Following that event, Fahey went home feeling down about the missed nest, which would have been the first sea turtle nest on Wrightsville Beach this year.
The heartbreak would not last very long, however, as the very next morning, a nest was found on the north end.
“[The discovery] came after such a big disappointment,” Fahey said. “But it’s part of the beauty of turtles. They’re give and take, and they remind you to not give up hope.”
While the number of nests discovered is less than it was by this point last year, Fahey said that’s not unusual for a number of reasons, including environmental factors such as nutrition and the cyclical nature of reproduction (turtles lay eggs every three to five years).
“We have also noticed that during years of beach renourishment, we tend to see less nests,” Fahey said.
The most recent round of beach renourishment, formally known as coastal storm damage reduction, was completed earlier this year. Wrightsville Beach is currently on a four-year cycle.
Last year, 10 nests were found on Wrightsville Beach. That followed a banner year in 2016, when a record 15 nests were discovered.
Beachgoers who notice evidence of turtle activity, such as tracks, eggs, or even hatchlings (live or dead), are asked to keep their distance and call the turtle hotline at (833) 4–TURTLE (833–488–7853) or the statewide hotline at (252) 241–7367.
If a sick or injured sea turtle is spotted, help can be reached locally at (910) 612–3047. More resources can be found at www.wbstp.org.
