Huge holes on Outer Banks beaches threaten sea turtles as they lay eggs, NC park says
Digging in the sand can create fun moments on a beach trip, but visitors should fill in big holes when they’re done, wildlife experts say.
That’s because the giant obstructions could threaten sea turtles during nesting season, Cape Hatteras National Seashore warned Saturday in a Facebook post.
The animals can fall inside holes as they make their way across the sand to lay eggs, according to the Florida Wildlife Commission.
Cape Hatteras, located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, posted photos showing examples of holes that experts recommend filling in, including a huge cavity near a shoreline and a trench surrounding a sand castle.
The park urged tourists to take further precautions to protect sea turtles. People should take beach chairs, fishing equipment and other items with them during the spring and summer months, experts say.
“Items left on the beach can cause disturbance that may deter a nesting female from laying her eggs or may cause entanglement which compromises the health of the turtle,” the Outer Banks park wrote on Facebook.
Cape Hatteras says the nesting season for turtles at its park lasts from May until September or October.
“Any obstacles that sea turtles face on the beach have the potential to alter their perception of the nesting habitat and they may decide to nest elsewhere or the nest may be laid too close to the water’s edge,” the park service said.
People have long spotted big holes on Outer Banks beaches. Last year, an unknown person left one that was 6 feet deep and 8 feet across, The News & Observer reported.
But other holes are left by the turtles themselves.
Every few years, a female loggerhead turtle will come on shore to dig a hole in the sand, where she deposits about 100 eggs, officials say. Hatchlings emerge about 60 days later and use natural lights to find their way to the water, according to the park service.
Loggerheads are the most common sea turtle species that nest at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, according to the park’s website.
This story was originally published May 30, 2020 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Huge holes on Outer Banks beaches threaten sea turtles as they lay eggs, NC park says."
