What you can do to help
Sunset Beach
Turtle Program
Who Are We?
• The Sunset Beach
Turtle Patrol
– Volunteers for NC
Wildlife Resource
Commission: Division
of Wildlife
– Concerned Citizens
– Friends of Nature
What do we do?
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Walk beach daily
Verify sea turtle nests
Place signs and mark off nests
Monitor nests during incubation period
Observe nest until it hatches
Assist directing hatchlings to the sea
Report live/dead strandings to the State
Perform necropsies when necessary
We also….
• Recruit volunteers annually
• Provide a new volunteer orientation
• Walk beach, educate the public, &
monitor nests - May 1 thru August 31
• Provide educational programs
to the schools and social
groups
• Provide fundraising to
support our program and
the Topsail Sea Turtle
Hospital
What do we need from you?
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Public awareness of sea turtles
Education of beach goers
Volunteers
Solicitation of funds for supplies
and education materials.
The Sea Turtles
The Size Matters
THE NEST
• Notification
– Volunteers patrol the beach daily
– Discovered nests are observed daily
– Nest/Eggs are located
– Identify a “true” nest or “False Crawl”
– Area is secured with signs and other
identifying materials to protect it
Emerging From the Egg
The hatchlings have an egg tooth which
they use to break the egg to emerge
from the egg.
3 to 4 days
3 to 4 days after
emerging from the egg
turtles make their way
up out of the nest and
head to the ocean
Hatched Eggs
72 Hours after a hatching
The nest is inventoried and data reported to the state
# of hatched eggs
# of infertile eggs
# of piped eggs
# of dead hatchings
Satellite Transmitter
Used to track the movements of turtles across the
oceans. Location depth, duration of recent dives. Data
provides insight into migration and navigation.
We’ve incubated for 65
days, hatched and
waited for several days
in our nest, and now
ready to head to the
ocean – Our Home
Natural Threats (including Humans)
• Artificial Lighting (house, bridge, stores, etc.)
• Beach and Coastal Development
• Boating – Propeller strikes, vessel collisions,
jet ski and other recreational activities
• Fishing – hooks, gill nets, long line fishing
• Marine Debris cause choking, toxic etc.
• Pollution – (oil spills) algae bloom, storm water
runoff, garbage both on and off the beach
• Products made from turtles – Jewelry, hair
ornaments – tourism
Items and
debris left on
the beach
Look what
damage a simple
piece of rope can
cause…
Fishing line
and hook
stuck inside
a turtle
Conservation
• Management Efforts:
– Informing the public
– Satellite Telemetry
– Tags
• Legislative tools
– The U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)
– Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
– Nesting and nest protection
– Involving the public
Predators of Sea Turtles
• Eggs and hatchlings
– Raccoons, sea birds,
– Foxes, ants, crabs,
– Opossums and coyotes
• Juveniles
– Sea Birds and Fish
• Teenager and Adults
– Killer Whales
– Variety of sharks
• Sharks are a larger problem because they feed
both day and night
Thank You!
Please Support SSBTW Today!