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Sea Turtle Conservation

Loggerhead Lingo
Of the seven marine turtle species found worldwide, loggerhead sea turtles are the most common in North Carolina. Here are a few facts.

    Scientific Name: Caretta caretta
    Federal Status: Threatened
    Description: Reddish-brown in color with large heads and powerful jaws. Males have narrower shells and longer, thicker tails than females.
    Size: Between 31 and 45 inches long and weighing about 170 to 350 pounds.
    Diet: Jellyfish, crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans.
    Nesting: Females mature at about 30 years of age, when they mate and crawl onto sandy beaches to deposit their eggs. Nesting occurs from May through August. Sixty-day incubation periods extend hatching activity into October. Each clutch consists of about 114 eggs, each the size of ping-pong balls.
    Longevity: Sea turtles live for at least 30 years, and often up to 50 years or more.

The North Carolina coast is an active area for marine turtle migration and reproduction. The Aquariums are directly involved in sea turtle conservation, including rescue, education and research.

What You Can Do

Report sea turtle strandings to your local police department (DO NOT CALL 911). The police will know who to call for quickest response to a stranding in your town. You also can call the Aquarium nearest you - Roanoke Island: 866-332-3475; Pine Knoll Shores: 866-294-3477; Fort Fisher: 866-301-3476. After hours, call the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network at 252-728-1528; pager number 252-247-8117. If you see a disoriented hatchling or a nest hatching out, don’t attempt to move the animals. Stay with the nest/hatchlings and call.

Volunteer. The Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST) is an all-volunteer non-profit organization, active from the Virginia state line to Oregon Inlet; phone 252-441-8622. To get involved with sea turtles on North Carolina’s central and southern coasts, contact Matthew Godfrey of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at 252-728-1528. In Carolina Beach or Kure Beach, contact the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project to volunteer, or donate to sea turtle conservation.