HATTERAS, N.C. — For the third time in five years, a sea turtle nesting record at Cape Hatteras National Seashore has been broken.
The sea turtle nest numbers (as of July 16 at noon):
- Loggerhead sea turtle: 317
- Green sea turtle: 11
- Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle: 1
In 2015, the nesting record was set at 289 nests. The next year the record was broken when 325 sea turtle nests were found on the beaches.
The new record has been set in 2019 with 326 nests found at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
“We are encouraged by the increasing numbers of sea turtles using Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches to nest,” stated Tracy Ziegler, Chief of Resource Management and Science, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina. “According to our estimates, almost 11,000 sea turtle eggs have been deposited in beaches on Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke islands.”
Cape Hatteras National Seashore said the nests aren't expected to impact any recreational access along the seashore, but for updated information click here.
Click here for more information about sea turtle nesting activities.