Hurricane Erin is expected to have had a big impact on sea turtle nests.
Officials with the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City many of those that hadn’t yet hatched were washed away by the rising tide. The center said about half of the 90 nests on Topsail Island had already hatched, but very few of the rest will survive.
The Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol also said many of the sea turtle nests there were washed out by Hurricane Erin’s high surf. They added that the eggs can’t be dug up and moved to higher ground ahead of a storm because of protection laws. Officials are taking a “never say never” approach to the possible survival of the submerged eggs because “nature can be incredible.”
Volunteers continue to monitor the unhatched nests.
The Topsail Turtle project has announced that one nest beat the odds, hatching during Hurricane Erin despite the high ocean water at the beach. Officials said that a few nests were washed away, and several were covered with sand. There are about 26 nests remaining, but officials said some of them were heavily overwashed; about 10-12 appear to be in good shape.
