The Wrightsville Beach Sea Turtle Project
We’re a volunteer organization working to protect the endangered and threatened sea turtles of Wrightsville Beach, NC, and their nests.
Every day between May 1 and August 31, sea turtle nesting season locally, our volunteers walk the length of Wrightsville Beach, looking for signs of sea turtle nesting activity. Sea turtles nest at night, so volunteers check for their tracks in the sand at dawn. When a nest is located, it is roped off to designate it as a federally protected area. Volunteers then monitor it daily until it hatches, approximately 45-70 days later.
We work in close cooperation with the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City, NC. When sick or injured sea turtles are found, they are transported to the sea turtle hospital, lovingly rehabilitated by a staff of dedicated volunteers, and eventually released back into the Atlantic Ocean.