New record: 2 leatherback sea turtle nests in 1 season on Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Corinne Saunders, The Virginian-Pilot
·1 min read

OCRACOKE ISLAND, N.C. — For the first time in over 20 years of record-keeping, Cape Hatteras National Seashore reported finding two leatherback sea turtle nests on its beaches in the same season.

Staff found the first leatherback nest on June 19 in Avon on Hatteras Island and located the second nest on Ocracoke Island one week later, on June 26, the National Park Service said in a Monday afternoon social media post.

The nest on Ocracoke Island was laid in an area prone to ocean overwash, and staff relocated it to a safer location, according to the park service post.

Female leatherbacks typically lay four to eight clutches in a season, nesting approximately every 10 days. “Given this pattern, it’s highly likely that both nests belong to the same female,” according to the post.

The sea turtle nesting season on the Outer Banks typically runs from May through September.

Last year, the park service recorded the latest-ever nest for North Carolina in the Frisco area of Hatteras Island on Dec. 3.

Four sea turtle species are known to nest on the Outer Banks, although two rarely do. Loggerhead sea turtles nest in the area by far the most frequently, followed by green turtles, records show.

Last year on the Outer Banks, only Cape Hatteras National Seashore reported any Kemp’s ridley or leatherback nests. Staff found three Kemp’s ridley nests and one leatherback nest, out of 380 total nests on the national seashore beaches.

Last year’s leatherback nest successfully hatched, according to Monday’s post.

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Leatherback sea turtles are classified as endangered at both the federal and state levels, migrate over great distances and eat jellyfish, according to the post.