Dig this: North Carolina beaches saw another record-breaking season for sea turtle nests

WILMINGTON (WWAY) —  Sea turtle nesting season is coming to a close in the Southeastern United States, and as remnants of turtle tracks, UTV paths, and carefully crafted hatchling “runways” wash away, it is appearing to be another record season for the southern states.

The Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network (SERSTN) revealed that Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina marked loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle nest numbers that surpass records from previous seasons. That, the organization exclaimed, is good news for sea turtle conservation.

State biologists theorize that, at the moment, the adult sea turtle populations are doing well, with thanks to conservation practices that have been implemented throughout the years.

Meanwhile, sea turtle hatchling success in these nests is reported to be in rapid decline due to rising global temperatures. SERTSN explained that sand temperatures are so hot during incubation that fewer hatchlings survive to see the ocean. The organization warned that this “could greatly impact the population in future years.”

Rest assured, sea turtle protection and conservation organizations around the Southeast continue to research these impacts on sea turtle populations. SERTN is confident that “the more we know, the better we can protect and preserve these species for many more generations.”

North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) put the record statistics into perspective, in particular a ninety-seven count for green sea turtle nests. NCWF said that it is the most the state has ever seen, with the previous record set in 2019 with sixty-two nests. Twenty years ago, “it was exciting to see ten-to-fifteen in a single season.”

2023 sea turtle season statistics, from the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network:

North Carolina:

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta): 1617

Green (Chelonia mydas): 97

South Carolina:

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta): 6604

Green (Chelonia mydas): 19

Georgia:

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta): 3432

Green (Chelonia mydas): 13

Florida:

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta): 133,941

Green (Chelonia mydas): 76,543

The state of Florida’s statistics – as well as others – are subject to change prior to the end of its sea turtle nesting season on October 31st. For continued coverage of the season, visit the SERSTN website.