Crowds Watch Turtle Nest Excavations

On a hot, late summer evening with quiet ocean waves lapping on the beach, crowds of national seashore visitors gather to watch the excavation of a sea turtle nest in Cape Hatteras National Seashore, as Park Service biological technicians perform an important part of their duties.

The Seashore has experienced a record number of 151 nests to date for the 2010 season. At least 72 hours after a sea turtle nest has naturally hatched, the nest cavity is examined or “excavated” by park staff to count eggshells and determine the hatch and emergence rates for the nest. A nest excavation begins with park staff carefully removing sand from the nest cavity to examine eggshell fragments and any remaining unhatched eggs.

Eggshells and eggs are counted and unhatched eggs are checked for stage of development and fertility. Sometimes the staff will find live hatchling(s) that have not made it out of the nest cavity and will release the
hatchling(s) into the ocean at least one hour after dusk.

From this examination, the hatch success for the nest can be determined and the information is added to the turtle nesting databases for the Seashore and the State of North Carolina.

In addition to the information gained, excavations provide park staff a chance to learn the result of their many hours of effort to monitor and protect these nest sites, and also provides an opportunity for park visitors to observe the process and share the experience.

Interested persons should check the bulletin boards or contact the Ocracoke Visitor Center (252-928-4531) or Buxton Visitor Center (252-995-4474) to check the date for the next nest excavation (if available) at a nearby Seashore location or call 252-995-6968 during normal business hours.For more information, see the park website at: http://www.nps.gov/caha

National Park Service News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  DATE:  August 30, 2010

Will there be closures on the beaches in the national seashore again this summer?

Information from

Cyndy M. Holda

Public Affairs Specialist

Cape Hatteras NS/Fort Raleigh NHS/Wright Brothers NM

The beaches of the national seashore are being managed again this summer under the terms of the U.S. District Court ordered consent decree. Park visitors will see resource closures in effect during the bird breeding season from mid-March to mid- to late-August and turtle nesting closures may occur until early November. 2. Will I be able to access (location) on (date) when I come to visit the Outer Banks (e.g., Cape Point on July 14)? The consent decree requires that areas be closed to off-road vehicle (ORV) use as soon as protected shorebird breeding activity is observed. The protected species include piping plover, American oystercatcher, three species of terns, and black skimmers. It is impossible to predict exactly when and where breeding behavior, nests, or nesting colonies will occur this summer, though the birds tend to nest in the same areas each year. Based on recent years’ nesting activity, it is highly likely that prescribed shorebird protections will significantly restrict and temporarily preclude ORV access to Bodie Island Spit, Cape Point, portions of South Beach, Hatteras Inlet Spit, North Ocracoke Spit, and South Point Ocracoke during the portions of the spring and summer. Popular pedestrian beaches, including Coquina Beach, all village beaches on Hatteras Island, and Ocracoke Day Use Area will be open to pedestrians; and many additional miles of beach will be open to ORV access throughout the summer. For up-to-date information on currently open or closed areas, check the Seashore’s Google Earth maps at: http://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/googleearthmap.htm.

While temporary resource closures to protect nesting shorebirds and sea turtles are expected to occur between mid-March and mid- to late-August, including at some popular sites, there will be many, many miles of beach open to both pedestrian and ORV access on any given day of any given week during those months. For example, on July 8, 2009, there were approximately 22 miles of beach open to ORVs and pedestrians, another 26 miles open to only pedestrians (that was a total of 48 miles of open beach!), while 19 miles of beach were closed or impractical to access due to resource protection closures in place at the time. By late August, most of the resource closures had been lifted.

What was the outcome of the negotiated rulemaking process?

The negotiated rulemaking advisory committee was established to assist the National Park Service in preparing an ORV management plan and special regulation for Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The committee held its final meeting in late February 2009 after meeting for 14 months. The committee provided a considerable amount of useful information on ORV management options for NPS to consider, however the committee did not reach agreement on a consensus alternative. As a result, NPS considered the committee’s input in developing the ORV management plan, and the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) was released for public comment in March 2010.

When will management of the Seashore no longer fall under the terms of the consent decree? The consent decree will remain in effect until the long-term ORV management plan/EIS and special regulation are completed. The consent decree establishes a deadline of December 31, 2010 to complete the plan/EIS and April 1, 2011 to publish a final rule.

What are the prohibitions on beach night driving? Under the consent decree, to protect nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings, night driving is prohibited on ocean beaches from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. May 1 – Nov. 15. A night driving permit is required to drive on the beaches from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sept. 16 – Nov. 15. 7.

When can I get my permit for driving on the beach at night from Sept. 16 – Nov. 15? How much will the permit cost? We have not yet finalized the permit for the 2010 season. The permit will be available locally and online prior to Sept. 16, 2010 and there will be no charge.

Can I put my name on a list right now to ensure I get a permit? A list for night driving permits from Sept. 16 – Nov. 15 is not needed at this time. There is no limit on the number of permits. They will be readily available prior to the implementation date of Sept. 16, 2010.

Can I drive out to the beach, park my vehicle on the beach and fish all night, then not drive it until 6 a.m.? No, all vehicles must exit the beach by 10 p.m. during the period when night driving is restricted.

Can I be dropped off on the beach before 10 p.m., fish all night and be picked up at 6 a.m.? Yes, however pedestrians are still prohibited from entering resource closures.

If I stay on the beach all night and fish, how much light can I have on the beach? It is okay to use flashlights, headlamps, or other low-intensity hand-held lighting.

If I launch my boat on the soundside, but I do not get back until after 10 p.m., can I use my ORV to retrieve my boat from the soundside ramp? Yes, the night driving ban does not apply to the soundside ramps.

Does the night driving ban on vehicles apply to bicycles or horses? No. However they are prohibited within resource closures.

Can I have a fire on the beach? Yes. Beach fires are allowed until 12 midnight (prohibited from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.). Fires are not permitted within resource protection closures or within 100 meters of any turtle nest closure. Before you leave the beach, you must extinguish your fire with water.

Can I bypass a resource closure by walking in the tidal surf zone in order to walk to Cape Point? The Park boundary along the ocean is the mean low tide line. If a person chooses to bypass any closed area by walking BELOW the mean low tide line, that is technically legal. However, the problem is that closures are often several tenths of a mile long or longer and it is not reasonable or safe to encourage the general public to walk below the mean low tide line for that distance. Inevitably the tide rises, staying outside the boundary becomes much more difficult, and visitors are tempted to come ashore within a resource closure which is a violation. This would only exacerbate access restrictions, as the consent decree requires NPS to automatically increase the buffer distance in 50 meter increments if disturbance of birds by ORVs or pedestrians is observed.

What do I do if I see a nesting sea turtle or hatchlings? Stay back at least 100 feet for nesting females and 30 feet for hatchlings so that you do not disturb them. Turn off all lights and do not use flash photography. Call the park, so that we can protect the turtles (252) 216-6892.

Nest Watch & N.E.S.T. Good News for Sea Turtles

Sea Turtle Patrol.  This video is from Pleasure Island, NC, but similar operations take place with volunteers from NEST and newly formed Nest Watch.

The Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of the habitats and migration routes of Sea Turtle and other marine animals on the Outer Banks of North Carolina from the Virginia border to Oregon Inlet.

Superintendent Mike Murray announced the implementation of a new sea turtle “Nest Watch” volunteer program for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore 2009 summer/fall sea turtle season.  Under the direction of Sea Turtle Biological Technician Michelle Bogardus, the goal of the Volunteers in the Park (VIP) program is to ensure the successful hatching of sea turtle hatchlings as they emerge from their nests and make their way to the ocean.  In addition, this program with provide visitors with a valuable educational experience and neighboring communities an opportunity to participate in sea turtle conservation and management

The annual program will assist the National Park Service (NPS) in monitoring sea turtle nests that have reached the point where hatching is imminent.  Volunteers are needed and will be trained to assist NPS biologists with monitoring nest sites, educating the general public about sea turtle management, installing and maintaining closures, handling hatchlings, and assisting with excavations.

There are three species of sea turtles that nest within Cape Hatteras National Seashore; the loggerhead, green, and leatherback.  All of these species are federally listed as either threatened or endangered.  Each year from May through September, park employees conduct daily patrols to find the nests and protect them.  Nests begin to hatch after 50 days of incubation, which generally begins in late July and can continue into November.  When emerging from their nests, hatchlings face many obstacles on the beach, including the threat of artificial lighting which leads them away from the water, as well as beach furniture, trash, fire pits, or other human related impediments that may obstruct the hatchling’s path.  These obstacles may increase prolonged exposure on the beach for hatchlings making them more susceptible to predation from ghost crabs and other predators.

Weekly visitors are welcome to observe training classes while interested VIPs are asked to commit to a certain number of hours.  If anyone is interested in becoming a VIP for this program and attending the training, please call 252-216-6892 and leave contact information.

Deeper High Tide and Sea Turtles

The UPI reported earlier this week that  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers say they are trying to learn why high tide along the Eastern United States is deeper than normal.Mike Szabados, head of a NOAA tide and current program in Silver Spring, Md., said the deeper high tide during the last few weeks has been reported all along the East Coast from Florida to Maine.”Right now we’re trying to get a better understanding of what’s the cause,” Szabados said of tide increases of up to 2 feet reported since June.

The sudden rise in the high tide has allowed scientists to reject global warming as a possible cause. Szabados said the cause could be the North Atlantic oscillation, an atmospheric pressure change in the North Atlantic Ocean between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High atmospheric pressure centers. n North Carolina, tides have been about a foot above normal predictions.

One concern about rising tides is for sea turtle nests. Some of the thousands of volunteers who patrol North Carolina beaches for sea turtle nests during the summer have noticed the higher tides because they’ve had to relocate nests higher on the beach to keep the eggs from being repeatedly submerged.  In North Carolina, tides have been about a foot above normal predictions.

Early on the morning of June 12, 2009,  an NEST  ATV driver discovered the  first 2009 nest/crawl in Corolla in the Pine Island area. Volunteers searched for eggs until 11:00 am but were unable to locate the nest. Matthew Godfrey, North Carolina Wildlife Commission biologist will review the photos taken of the site to see if he can determine if it was a false crawl or the volunteers were unable to locate the eggs (certainly not due to any lack of effort by the Nesting Response Team). The nesting area has been marked off with police tape and the site will be monitored thru the season for any hatchling activity in the nest.

Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of the habitats and migration routes of Sea Turtle and other marine animals on the Outer Banks of North Carolina from the Virginia border to Oregon Inlet.

Volunteers are always needed for a variety of tasks that include turtle rehabilitation, driving a N.E.S.T. ATV to monitor turtle crawls, responding to turtle strandings, and sitting on turtle nests awaiting hatchlings.  N.E.S.T. is funded primarily through private donations, tee-shirt and souvenir sales, and fund raising events.