Protecting Sea Turtle Nesting Sites

In early August, while on vacation with the family at Emerald Isle (one of the islands on the North Carolina coast) I noticed many spots on the beach where roped off and warnings posted not to disturb a sea turtle nesting area. Thus I found it interesting to read this article on Summer Sea Turtle Nesting by journalist Kurt Repanskeh about efforts along the Carolina coast to protect sea turtle nesting sites. I thought it gave a very good explanation of the benefits of restricting human activity along portions of the beach. It is a much more complex issue than most people realize. And while it can create some inconveniences to humans to avoid disturbing turtle nesting sites and or doing things that make it more difficult for the turtle hatchlings to survive, we certainly should support such restrictions. And after all, the turtles were there first -- by many millions of years! This video from the Encyclopedia Britannica shows how sea turtles nest and the journey that hatchlings face in making the journey back into the ocean. Turtle Treasures offers a Sea Turtle in Hatchling Egg that is made from pewter and is a wonderful trinket to commemorate these adorable creatures.