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Late Nester Spotted At Cape Hatteras National Seashore

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By NPT Staff - December 8th, 2023
gs laid at the top of the nest.

Green sea turtle eggs found December 3, 2023, at Cape Hatteras National Seashore/NPS

Sure, the calendar says December, but that didn't stop a green sea turtle from crawling up on a beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina to lay her eggs.

According to park staff, park biologists found the nest on Sunday morning. 

"This is a rare occurrence as it's the latest laid sea turtle nest found at Cape Hatteras National Seashore," staff said. "Not only that, but it's also the latest nest ever recorded for the state of North Carolina! The previous late nesting record for the seashore and the state occurred October 31, 2020.

"By looking at her crawl patterns," staff added, "this Green sea turtle crawled erratically before deciding where to lay her eggs. We aren’t the only ones that have been enjoying this mild weather in December!"

Sea turtle tracks coming up the beach and zig-zagging through the sand/NPS

Staff at the seashore do not pull eggs from nests to incubate them, so the question remains whether they'll hatch before colder weather prevents that.

"The nest has been marked, roped off, and staff will monitor them in their natural habitat," said a seashore staffer.

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