Garish sandcastles appearing on NC beaches come under fire for unexpected reason

Sandcastles may be a beloved beach tradition, but the monstrosities appearing on some North Carolina beaches have become a threat to endangered sea creatures, experts say.

Specifically, the large sea turtles that lumber ashore this time of year to nest.

Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol shared photos of multiple sandcastles in a May 30 Facebook post, noting they are beautiful, more than 4-feet high and have been standing for at least a week.

“Large sandcastles, deep holes, and beach equipment may seem harmless, but they can create serious obstacles for nesting sea turtles. Sea turtles don’t have the ability to back up so when they encounter these obstacles. They can become trapped, too exhausted to return to the ocean, or forced to abandon nesting all together,” Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol Program Coordinator Heather Keever told The Charlotte Observer.

“We want visitors to enjoy their time on the beach, but before leaving for the day, please knock down sandcastles, fill in holes, and leave the beach as natural as possible.”

That simple request racked up more than 1,000 reactions and comments as of June 1. Many among the commenters sided with the sea turtles, but a few took offense at the idea sandcastles were a potential threat.

“This is elaborate, and a family probably spent all day building. EI (Emerald Isle) must not be for everyone. Maybe we should close the beach of all obstacles? Beach chairs frequently left out and should be sought after too, but let’s destroy art,” Mike Reese wrote on the patrol’s Facebook page.

“Education is a beautiful thing. Turtles are endangered. Create art elsewhere. Pretty dang simple,” Mary-Ellen Frizzel posted.

“I will be happy to walk down the beaches and knock them all down. Who’s with me,” Pamela Miller said.

North Carolina’s beaches are a nesting ground for multiple species of threatened or endangered sea turtles, including loggerheads, greens, Kemp’s ridleys, leatherbacks and hawksbills, federal officials say.

The turtles crawl out of the ocean, dig holes in the sand, then deposit dozens of eggs to be incubated by the summer sun, experts say.

Hatchlings dig their way out later in the summer, and immediately try to find the ocean. Large sandcastles can hinder that journey, sending them in the wrong direction, experts say.

Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol operates under the authorization of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, which requires permits for sea turtle research.

Emerald Isle is about a 145-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 8:41 AM.