Click the link below to shop and donate online or find the instructions if you prefer to mail us a check.
And we still have some 2025 shirts available at discount prices. These are only available through our online store or mail order. The Lighthouse does not have any 2025 shirts. shop, donate and adopt a nest here
Found a mother turtle laying a nest? A stranded or injured sea turtle and/or unattended hatchlings?
Call the HBTWP Stranding Team:
910-754-0766 | 24/7/365
Nesting turtles are frightened by lights and won't lay their eggs on a brightly lighted beach. Hatchlings will go to the lights rather than the ocean! Please help us preserve our marine life by keeping beachfront lighting off from May 1st until October 31st. learn more turtle facts
As recommended by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, it is the policy of the HBTWP to NOT disclose the locations or potential hatch dates of active turtle nests on our beach.
A list of nest locations will NOT be published in newspapers, on this website or on other social media. Please do NOT call the emergency number or contact the Project Coordinator to ask about nests. This is for the safety of the turtles! learn more about turtle nesting
Current Nest Count |
False Crawls |
78 |
43 |
Total Known Eggs |
Hatchlings to Ocean |
9092 |
7216 |
posted: October 5, 2026, 9:21 AM
Thank you to our wonderful, dedicated volunteers, our community supporters, and the sponsors of our new Nest Sponsor Program. We can finally sit back and celebrate a very successful and busy year with a remarkable number of nests. There is no doubt that this was a remarkable year for sea turtle nesting on the East Coast. The 2026 season was the second-highest season in the history of our Holden Beach Turtle Patrol, which was established in 1989. Our record-setting year was 2019, when DNA results reflected 52 individual females laid 105 nests. The females laid an average of two nests
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posted: October 1, 2026, 10:12 AM
On September 29, we closed our “Last Nest” of the 2026 nesting season. Despite being disturbed and vandalized on September 18, Nest 75 had a “Happy Ending” as it had a total of 45 live hatchlings. During the closeout, eight of those hatchlings were rescued and released as a large crowd of supportive beachgoers and 29 Turtle Patrol members cheered them on as they scampered down to the water. The first of the 8 sea turtles released at closeout was named “Holden” and the second was named “Maggie”. Nest 75 was included in our new Nest Sponsor Program, launched this
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posted: September 23, 2026, 6:16 AM
Thank you again to everyone who has participated in our Adopt a Nest program this year. This first season has been a tremendous success. We appreciate everyone who has supported our work to protect endangered sea turtles on Holden Beach. Many adoptions carried a special story—honoring loved ones, celebrating milestones, giving meaningful gifts or thanks for supporting turtle conservation. This final list of adopters contains friends, members, families and some very special nests dedicated to those people and businesses who have dedicated time, energy, knowledge and space to assist us in our efforts. Nest #60 Honoring our 100+ volunteers in
WECT news on September 21
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posted: September 19, 2026, 10:40 AM
OMG. We are speechless! Overnight Friday September18 into Saturday morning September 19, nest #75 on our beach was vandalized. This is a federal offense with up to a $50,000 fine for these actions. The Holden Beach Police Department is actively investigating. We are sad. We are angry. But, there is good news about this whole situation. Members of our stranding team were able to find the eggs. They are safe and intact. The nest site was put back together. We will monitor this nest closely. It is not expected to hatch for at least another week. Please, if you know
WECT vandalized nest
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