Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program - Save the sea turtles.

Beginning June 16th thru August 11th at 7PM the Holden Beach Turtle Watch will hold it's weekly educational session in the meeting room of the new Town Hall Building.

Turtle talk is hosted by the educational committee. This program focuses on the life cycle of the sea turtle, and how the Holden Beach Turtle program aids in the preservation of sea turtles. A short video presentation will be shown with a question and answer segment to follow. Several turtle artifacts will be on display for viewing and informational handouts are available. Please plan on arriving a few minutes early since seating is limited and the program will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.

Turtle Talk is open to all family members and is enjoyed by people of all ages. There is NO admission charge but donations are greatly appreciated. After the program, the turtle patrol will be selling the 2010 Turtle Watch Program t-shirts.
(cash or personal checks will be accepted)

Plan on coming out for a fun and fact filled evening and learn about these amazing marine turtles.

LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE (Caretta caretta)	Large thick head; broad, short neck
WEIGHT & SIZE	200-400 pounds
FAVORITE FOODS	jellyfish, crabs, shrimp
LIFESPAN	up to 100 years
NEST SIZE	100 or more eggs
NESTING SEASON	May to August
HATCHING	Occurs from 55 to 89 days from the date laid
THREATS	pollution, poaching, fishing, and habitat loss

Sea Turtles Predate Dinosaurs and have existed for over 200 million years.
Sea Turtles have lived to be over 100 years old in captivity.
Sea Turtles love to eat jelly fish, sponges, algae, sea grasses and crustaceans.
A mature female turtle (20-30 years) will return to her natal beach every 2-3 years
to lay 1 to 7 nests with an average of 4 nests.
The temperature of the sand determines the sex of the hatchlings (hotter sand-more females-cooler sand-more males)
Bright house lights that face the ocean will confuse nesting mothers and hatchlings.
The population of Sea Turtles are threatened by pollution, poaching, and habitat loss.
There are 8 species of Sea Turtles. 5 visit North Carolina: The Loggerhead, Green,
Kemp's, Ridley, and Leatherback.
Mature Loggerhead Turtles weigh up to 400 pounds
A Fine of up to $100,000 and or 1 year in prison is the penalty for harassing a Sea Turtle or disturbing its nest.

Turn off all lights that face the ocean (including carports) between May 1st and October 31st.
Call our 24 hour pager (910-754-0766) for any sea turtle sightings or 911 to report any unlawful activities or harassment of a sea turtle.
Please be sure that there is a red turtle magnet with the pager number posted on your refrigerator. Magnets are available at the town hall.
Use a red filtered flashlight when walking on the beach at night. Red cloth to put over your flashlight is available at the Turtle Talk Program or from your island realtor.
Pick up any trash, especially plastic, from the beach.

Mother turtle returning to the ocean after laying eggs

Most of the Sea Turtles calling Holden Beach home are Loggerhead Turtles. However, occasionally a Green Turtle visits us. Once a Sea Turtle crawl is found, A team of Turtle Patrol Members assemble at the crawl location to find the eggs. If the nest is in an unsafe location, the nest will be relocated to a safer area on the beach. The nest site is then marked off with stakes, ribbon, and a warning sign that informs people that this is a Sea Turtle Nest and is Protected By The Endangered Species Act.

For the next 55-70 Days of Incubation, the nest will be monitored until hatching. At that time, Turtle Patrol Members account for each hatchling or non fertile egg and insure that the babies make it safely into the ocean. This process is repeated with each and every nest.

The purpose of the Holden Beach Turtle Watch Program is to protect threatened and endangered
Sea Turtles from extinction by educating visitors to our beach, by providing a sanctuary and safe environment for nesting turtles and hatchlings, and by aiding stranded turtles. This permit is granted under the guidance of the North Carolina Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The most common turtle to appear on North Carolina beaches is the Loggerhead turtle
(caretta caretta)

Only females come ashore and that is to lay their eggs. To nest, they return to the beach where they were hatched. They will lay an average of 100 eggs per nest and will nest 4-7 times each nesting season which is every 2-3 years.

The incubation period is approximatley 60 days.

Unfortunately, it is believed that only 1 in 10,000 hatchlings will reach maturity.

The biggest enemy of the sea turtle is the encroachment of man in the sea turtle habitat.
This includes boat propellers, fishing gear, debris and trash, construction on nesting beaches, artificial lights, and pollution.

Natural predators to eggs and hatchlings are ghost crabs, foxes, raccoons, birds, and dogs on land and large fish in the ocean.

The nesting season begins on Holden Beach in May and ends in September.

One of the many exhibits at Turtle Talk

See more photos here...