FRISCO, N.C. — It's officially turtle nesting season on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore!
The seashore's first sea turtle nest of the season was found on Saturday by park biologists, according to National Park Service (NPS) officials. The nest was laid by a Loggerhead sea turtle near Frisco, officials added.
Seashore officials say while its nest numbers have fluctuated in the past few decades, there's been a consistent uptick in the number of sea turtle nests laid annually in recent years.
Several sea turtle nesting records were broken in 2023. Notably, last year marked the highest number of green turtle nests recorded in a nesting season.
Watch related coverage: NC Aquarium nurses sea turtles back to life on Roanoke Island
If you see a sea turtle on Cape Hatteras—regardless of whether the turtle is alive or not—you're encouraged to call seashore officials. They say this will help them assist animals in need of care as soon as possible.
You can contact seashore officials at 252-216-6892.
For more information on how you can help protect sea turtles, click here.
