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Topsail Island has 26 miles of coastline.
Each mile is surveyed every morning to identify sea turtle tracks and nests from May through August.
SEA TURTLES  DIG THE DARK
Please keep oceanfront lighting to a minimum.  Lights disorient nesting mothers and lead hatchlings away from the sea, a trip they cannot survive.
In North Carolina the nesting season is mid-May through August.
The Loggerhead Sea Turtle comes ashore to nest 3 to 5 times during a nesting year.
She deposits an average of 120 eggs per nest.
The eggs will incubate in the sand for about 60 days.

After all the hatchlings have pipped out of their eggs, 
they emerge from the nest together and race to the sea.
Weighing in at about two ounces, their first challenge on our beach
is escaping the deadly grasp of the ghost crabs.
Once in the water they must hide from both bird and fish predators, 
and the swim to sea weed rafts and the Sargasso Sea begins.

It is a long swim to maturity.
It is estimated that 1 in 1000 survives the first year,
and as few as 1 in 5,000 - 10,000 survive to adulthood.
No one has the answer to this.
In 20 to 30 years the surviving hatchlings will reach adulthood.
The females will return to their natal beaches to lay their eggs and the cycle begins again.

5 sec video clip 1
  Surprise daylight visitor
 This sea turtle came to nest about 5 PM.
  

5 sec video clip 2
  She left behind nest 125 eggs.

 
Beach Patrol 2012

Covering 26 miles, rain and shine, every morning,
the many, the proud, (some of) the beach patrol 2012

TB = Topsail Beach    SC = Surf City (north/south of bridge)   NTB = North Topsail Beach ( north/south of bridge)
Activity  
Date        
Nest #     
False Crawl # Location   
Hatch Date #Eggs/#Hatch
1
 May 13
 *75
 1
 TB
717 n anderson
 July 29
 116/ 74
2
 May 16
 1
SC-s
1508 s shore
 July 23
 135  / 110
3
 May 16
2
 SC-n

4
 May 16
3
 SC-n

5
 May 17
 2
TB
1411 Ocean
 July 26
 89 / 82
6
 May 20
4
 NTB-n

7
 May 21
5
 NTB-n

8
 May 22
 3
NTB-n
jeffries access
 July 24
 170 / 133
9
 May 22
 4
NTB-n
4296 Island dr
 July 27
 136  / 97
10
 May 23
 5
SC-s
1340 s shore
 July 26
 135 / 128
11
 May 25
6
 NTB-s

12
 May 25 6
SC-s
1112 s shore
July 28
 157 / 144
13
 May 25 7
SC-s
2502 s shore
 July 29
 93 / 60
14
 May 28
 8
NTB-n
1330 NRI
 Aug 1
 118 / 50
15
 May 28
 9
NTB-n
1737 NRI
 July 30
 126 / 113
16
 May 28
7
 NTB-n

17
 May 28
 *76
 8
 SC-n

 Aug 4
 96 / 91
18
 May 28
 10
NTB-s
200 Earnst Dr
 July 28
 133 / 118
19
 May 30
 11
NTB-s
3618 island dr
 July 27
 137 / 127
20
 May 30
 12
NTB-n
Pinellas way
 Aug 3
 134 / 110
21
 May 31
9
 NTB-s

22
 June 2
 13
TB
1001 ocean
 Aug 10

 139 / 131
23
 June 2
10
 NTB-s

24
 June 3
 14
SC-s
2104 s shore
 Aug 5
 162 / 159
25
 June 4
 15
NTB-s
3690 island
Aug 4
 87 / 82
26
 June 4
11
 NTB-s

27
 June 5
12
 NTB-n

28
 June 5
 16
TB
401 n anderson
 Aug 5
 127 / 119
29
 June 7
13
 NTB-s

30
 June 7
14
 NTB-s

31
 June 7
15
 NTB-n

32
 June 7
16
 NTB-n

33
 June 7
17
 NTB-n

34
 June 8
 17
NTB-s
jeffrey's
 Aug 3
 155 / 146
35
 June 8
18
 NTB-s

36
 June 8 18
SC-s
1534 s shore
 Aug 5
 75 / 74
37
 June 8
19
 TB

38
 June 8 77
 20
 TB
813 n anderson
 Aug 9
 133 / 113
39
 June 8
21
 NTB-n

40
 June 8
22
 NTB-n

41
 June 9
23
 NTB-n

42
 June 9 19
NTB-n
marina way
 Aug 9
 131 / 116
43
 June 9
24
 TB

44
 June 9 22*
TB
405 n anderson
 Aug 9
 120 / 84
45
 June 9
25
 NTB-s

46
 June 10
26
 NTB-s

47
 June 10
27
 NTB-s

48
 June 10
28
 NTB-s

49
 June 10
29
 NTB-s

50
 June 11
 20
SC-n
1407 n shore
 Aug 9
 135 / 125
51
 June 11 78
 30
 NTB-s
15th Ave
 Aug 11
 124 / 90
52
 June 11 21
NTB-s
4464 island
 Aug 9
 73 / 70
53
 June 12
 23*
NTB-n
pinellas way
 Aug 10
 112 / 80
54
 June 12
 24
TB
813 n anderson
 Aug 9
 78 / 77
55
 June 12
 25
NTB-s
3032 island
 Aug 10
 138 / 120
56
 June 13
31
 SC-s

57
 June 15
 26
NTB-n
1529 nri
 Aug 11
 183 / 128
58
 June 15
32
 NTB-s

59
 June 15
33
 Sc-n

60
 June 15
34
 SC-n

61
 June 15
35
 NTB-s

62
 June 15
36
 SC-n

63
 June 16
37


64
 June 18
 27
NTB-s
st moritz
 Aug 10
 82 / 80
65
 June 18
 28
NTB-s
3542 island
 Aug 14
 156 / 152
66
 June 18
38
 NTB-s

67
 June 19
39
 SC-n

68
 June 20
 29
SC-s
1140 s shore
 Aug 15
 155 / 149
69
 June 20
40
 TB

70
 June 20
 30
TB
205 S anderson
 Aug 16
 127 / 112
71
 June 20 pm
 31
NTB-s
226 seashore
Aug 19
 97 / 92
72
 June 21
41
 NTB-s

73
 June 21
 32
NTB-n
volusia
 Aug 18
 131 / 120
74
 June 22
 33
NTB-s
3814 island dr
 Aug 11
 112 / 102
75
 June 23
42
 NTB-s

76
 June 24
43
 SC-n

77
 June 24
 34
SC-n
208 n shore
 Aug 19
 126 / 122
78
 June 25
44
 NTB-n

79
 June 25
45
 NTB-n

80
 June 25
46
 NTB-n

81
 June 25 35
NTB-n
1737 nri
 Aug 18
 90 / 12
82
 June 25 36
SC-s
2516 s shore
 Aug 19
 151 / 149
83
 June 25 37
NTB-n
villa capriani
 Aug 19
 133 / 128
84
 June 27
47
 NTB-s

85
 June 27
48
 TB

86
 June 27
49
 TB

87
 June 27 38
TB
129 s anderson
 Aug 24
 149 / 139
88
 June 27 39
NTB-s
631 Ocean dr
 Aug 19
 122 / 120
89
 June 27 40
NTB-n
bay ct
 Aug 22
 118 / 115
90
 June 28
50
 SC-n

91
 June 28
51
 SC-n

92
 June 28
52
 NTB-s

93
 June 28 41
NTB-s
108 scotch bonnet
 Aug 25
 67 / 61
94
 June 28 42
SC-n
1307 n shore
 Aug 31
 84 / 45
95
 June 29
53
 SC-n

96
 June 30
54


97
 June 30
55
 NTB-s

98
 June 30 81
 56
NTB-s
3690 island dr
 Aug 24
 105 / 101
99
 July 2
57
 NTB-s

100
 July 2
58
 NTB-s

101
 July 3 43
SC-n
1411 n shore
 Aug 27
 106 / 103
102
 July 3 44
NTB-s
4276 island
Aug 24
 160 / 150
103
 July 3
59
 SC-s

104
 July 3 45
NTB-n
1074 n river
satellite tag
 Aug 30
 93 / 84
105
 July 5 46
SC-n
326 n shore
 Sept 2
 148 / 122
106
 July 5
60
 Sc-s

107
 July 5
61
 NTB-s

108
 July 5
62
 NTB-s

109
 July 5
 47
NTB-s
3022 island dr
 Aug 31
 118 / 107
110
 July 7
 48
NTB-s
222 oceana vista
 Aug 31
 130 / 108
111
 July 7
63
 NTB-s

112
 July 7
64
 Sc-n

113
 July 7
65
 Sc-n

114
 July 7 49
NTB-s
412 Hampton  Colony
 Sept 2
 87 / 80
115
 July 7 50
SC-s
2406 s shore
 Aug 30
 92 / 84
116
 July 7
66
 SC-s

117
 July 8
67
 NTB-s

118
 July 9 51
NTB-n
jefferys
 Sept 2
 131 / 111
119
 July 10 52
NTB-s
142 topsail road
 Sept 10
 134 / 124
120
 July 12 53
TB
1419 ocean blvd
 Sept 7
 89 / 88
121
 July 12 54
SC-n
810 n shore
 Sept 7
 86 / 68
122
 July 12
68
 NTB-s

123
 July 12
69
 NTB-s

124
 July 12 55
NTB-s
226 oceana vista
 Sept 7
 56 / 55
125
 July 13 56
TB
1125 n anderson
 Sept 9
 105 / 104
126
 July 14 57
NTB-s
Stump Sound
 Sept 7
 142 / 129
127
 July 15 58
NTB-s
Mryrtle Dr
 Sept 13
 150 / 123
128
 July 17
70
 NTB-n

129
 July 17 59
TB
401 n anderson
 Sept 10
 132 / 122
130
 July 17
71
 NTB-s

131
 July 18 60
NTB-s
408 island
 Sept 17
 96 / 46
132
 July 18 61
NTB-n
jeffrey's
 Sept 15
 116 / 110
133
 July 19 62
SC-s
1110 s shore
 Sept 18
 140 / 136
134
 July 19
72
 NTB-s

135
 July 19
73
 SC-n

136
 July 20 63
NTB-s
7th ave
 Sept 17
 113 / 100
137
 July 21 64
SC-n
1811 n shore
 Sept 16
 163 / 158
138
 July 22 65
SC-s
1538 s hore
 Sept 17
 121 / 111
139
 July 24
74
 NTB-s

140
 July 24
75
 SC-s

141
 July 24
 66
NTB-s
15th ave
 Sept 27
 130 / 104
142
 July 25
 67
NTB-n
1737 nri
 Sept 18
 102 / 89
143
 July 26
76
 NTB-s

144
 July 26
 68
NTB-s
2950 island dr
 Sept 21
 72 / 87
145
 July 26
 69
TB
1315 ocean
 Sept 25
 91 / 65
146
 July 26
77
 TB

147
 July 27
78
 NTB-s

148
 July 27
 70
NTB-n
bay ct
 Sept 26 83 / 73
149
 July 27
79
 NTB-s

150
 July 28
 71
SC-s
1112 s shore
 Sept 30
 126 / 65
151
 July 29
 72
NTB-n
jeffries
 Sept 76
 130 / 125
152
 July 31
 73
NTB-n
 Oct 1
153
 Aug 1
 74
SC-s
2410 s shore
 Sept 9/26

 123 / 67
154
 Aug 12
 79
SC-n

155
 June 21
 80
NTB-s
110 topsail road
 Aug 17
 99 / 97
156
 Aug 27
 82
NTB-s

157





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YEAR
TOTAL #
Crawls
 # Nests
# False Crawls
# Eggs
# Live Hatchlings
# Unhatched Eggs
# Dead Hatchlings
2011
 213
 110
 103
 12,142
 9369
 2773
 * data incomplete
  14 nests lost
2010
 188
 104
 84
 12,150
 10,058

2009
 105
 59
 46
 7315
 5804
 1450
 39
2008
 152
 89
 63
 10,112*
 8212
 1102
318
* data incomplete
6 nests lost
354+ lost eggs
2007
 111
 61
 50
 7,146
 5,152
 1,832
 162
2006
 166
 94
 72
 9,838*
 7,750
 1.179
289
* date incomplete, 20 nests lost hurricane ernesto
2005 105
 72
 43
 7,460*
 5,107
 1,244
208
*901 missing eggs, hurricane ophelia
2004
98
55
43
6,783
5,349
1,219
215
2003
134
80
54
9,882
8,260
1,531
91
2002
162
86
76
10,307
8,866
1,246
195
2001
130
79
51
  9,045
7,721
1,271
53

 

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