Notes from Sea Turtle Field Technician A.K. King

The season is flying by, and while most nesting activity is winding down, we’re still seeing the occasional fresh nest appear on the beach. Hatchlings continue to emerge, though Hurricane Erin’s recent storm surges remind us of the risks that late-season nests face.

When storms threaten, our team shifts into high gear to monitor and inventory post-emerged nests. The goal is to complete as many inventories as possible before storm tides wash away evidence of hatch success. While these surges are a real threat, it’s important to remember that sea turtles have evolved remarkable reproductive strategies—laying multiple nests across wide areas—to give their offspring the best possible chance of survival. Already, more than half of this year’s documented nests have successfully hatched.

Alongside the late nests, we’ve also encountered a handful of “wild nests” on the refuge. These are unmarked nests discovered only when hatchling tracks lead us to them—a delightful surprise and a reminder of just how resilient and resourceful these turtles are. Out of the 939 nests documented on Cape Island alone this season, only six have been “wild nests.” Considering the sheer number of crawls assessed each day, that’s an impressive margin of success for our monitoring efforts.

As we move deeper into the season, we’ll continue to keep a close watch on both the late hatchers and the impacts of weather. Each nest tells a story of survival against the odds—and every single hatchling is a win for the future of this species.