Volunteers report vandalism to Oak Island sea turtle nests

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — The Brunswick County coast is one of the popular places for sea turtles to nest. We told you last week that the first nest hatched in Oak Island, the first in the state to do so.

“Last year we had 101 nests so we are on course to beat that,” Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program Area Coordinator Jacci Hohnstein said.

As of Moday, the volunteers have tallied 94 nest so far this season.

“We started in the middle of May with our first nest,” Hohnstein said. “We were not the first nest in the state, unfortunately, but I believe we were the 2nd. Things are going really well.”

Volunteers like Hohnstein have been spending most of the summer on the beach keeping an eye out for tracks across their 12-mile area.

“Once we find the tracks we have to measure them to see how big she is and then we try to locate the nest, if there is a nest,” Hohnstein said. “But if there is one, we locate the eggs and we take one of them for DNA purposes and send it to the state.”

The protection program sends the information they collect away so scientists can track what other places the mother has been.

Hohnstein says loggerheads have been the only species to be seen so far this year.

“Nest #1 and #2 have hatched which is very unusual because they normally don’t go in order, but we will see what happens this year,” she said.

Similar to last year though, they’ve had a problem with people vandalizing them.

She said, “We have had someone or several people taking the signs down and the stakes and either throwing them in the ocean or throwing them in the dunes.”

Volunteers have reported three nests have been messed with, two of which thankfully have been recovered.

If the other nest cannot be found, she says the eggs will likely be okay but unfortunately can’t be monitored.

“There are thousands and thousands hours of volunteer time and it’s all on our own time,” she says. “To go and just intentionally sabotage the nests is just ridiculous.”

It is a federal crime to mess with sea turtle nests. Conviction can result in a fine of up to $100,000 and one year in jail.

You can check daily nest updates on the Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program’s Facebook page.

She says, “We still have another month of nesting season so at night if you see the mother turtle come up from the ocean please just stand back, don’t put any lights on her and she’ll find a spot to lay her eggs and just watch her.”

Every Tuesday this summer at 6:30 pm the OKI Sea Turtle Protection patrol team conducts weekly educational sessions at the Ocean Recreation Center. The program focuses on the life cycle of the sea turtle, nesting, and how the program aids in the preservation of sea turtles.