JAMESTOWN, Va. — Author's note: The video above is on file from October 2021, when the Cape Hatteras National Seashore gave a summary of how many sea turtles hatched and made it to the ocean through the year.
From late March through early June, the Colonial National Historical Park will close Island Drive periodically to help turtles with their spring migration.
Lauren Gurniewicz, a spokeswoman for the park, said when the road was built in the 1950s, it separated upland areas and marsh ecosystems.
Jamestown Island is home to eight species of turtles, and five of them use those two ecosystems as part of their life span. The turtles may be small, but they can travel a fourth of a mile to find food and mates.
The intermittent road closures will help these turtles safely get where they need to go.
The Island Drive road closure, which will start right past the visitor center, only applies to cars. Bicyclists and people on foot can still use the scenic road as long as they keep an eye out for young turtles, which are small enough to be crushed by bike tires.