Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / July 1, 1993, edition 1 / Page 52
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Island Patrols Always Save Their Turtles BY MARJORIK MEGIVERN It was the early morning watch out of homicide. Elga Good man and Ann King were on 6:30 a.m. patrol from Island Pla/a headquarters on Ocean Isle Beach. I joined them for the first patrol of the day. a half-mile in each direc tion up and down the beach. Our mission: observe tracks of the sea turtle and find her nest. By 8:30 a.m. the patrol was terminated, with no tracks spotted, no nests dscovcred. This highly disciplined effort to avert further deaths of the sea crea tures would win the approval of Sgl. Friday or any other law en forcement agency. In official-look ing T-shirLs proclaiming "Turtle Patrol. Ocean Isle Beach." and sporting a turtle logo, about 30 resi dents of this little island take turns walking the strand during the nest ing season for loggerhead and lea therback turtles, hoping to spot their tracks toward a nesting loca tion and then to discover the deep nests housing perhaps 100 fragile eggs. A muggy but cool breeze made the walk pleasant on this early June day. hut it w as a fruitless search and my two companions were especial ly disappointed because their coun terparts on Holden Beach had al ready found a nest, as had others on Sunset Beach. Long Beach patrol ers held the lead so far. with four nests spotted. "We're all pretty competitive about this." Goodman laughed, "but I think everyone is mostly concerned about saving these tur tles. The loggerhead and leathcr hack are almost extinct." She pressed on me an armful of educational literature, including a newsletter from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, a reprint of an article. 'The Troubled Turtle." a colorbook intended for school chil dren and bright orange posters aler ting island vacationers to the im portance of caution during the crea tures' nesting season. All this concern is fairly recent on the Brunswick beaches, al though during the 1980s the plight '?;* v wr PHOTO BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN ELGA GOODMAN, left and Ann King, enjoy their early-morning patrol along the Ocean Isle Beach strand, alert to possible turtle nests or tracks. BEACH COTTAGES ISLAND HOMES y? FRONT SALT BOX 1230 3 V tta&IHB ?> I ?? w>u L-. . IL J_ ? ? a * | 1 Ui f f /00 *f T" ft For cottages that reflect the carefree, simple & relaxed lifestyle of coastal living. Duplex or Single Family styles. from 644 to 1960 s.f. Affordable Custom nane>. Portfolio of plans only $P.O call now... 1-300-233-0291 (Voice or TDD) VISA A MASTERCARD COASTAL DESIGNS X - _a. ii* ? :a co*i) wcx *>*)*\ .for coaetai living of sea tunics became apparent to environmentalists and animal preserva'.ionsists. Fishing boats had inadvertently captured great num bers of turtles along with their seafood "catch," and increased de velopment on beaches had caused nests to be destroyed and nestlings to die prematurely. Five years ago, Tina Pritchard, then an employee of Brunswick County's Parks and Recreation Department, organized turtle watch groups on all county beaches, edu cated them on the subject and trained them to help preserve the species. She is now state coordina tor lor the "turtle protection pro gram." Some 25 to 30 people in each of these communities became volun teer patrolcrs, eager to help turtle nestlings find their way safely from nest to sea. They take seriously the responsibility of patrolling the beaches daily, beginning in May. When nests are found, they often must be moved from dangerous lo cations in front of accessways and only state-permitted people arc al lowed to move them. There are two permitted "movers" on each beach. "My husband asked me, 'What did these turtles do before you folks came along?* " King joked. "It's a good question, and the answer is that the beaehes were much safer for them many years ago, with not so many people and dogs and vehi cles, not so many lights. 44 Turtles arc very sensitive to bright lights, which can turn the mothers back toward the sea. leav ing their unique tracks behind. Fishing waters hold dangers for them as more and more trawlers seine the waters, but recent legisla tion has required the installation of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) to forestall this problem. "People living and visiting here have been really cooperative about turning off their outside lights." Goodman observed. "In fact, many people are so interested in this, they gather around nests when we find one and will sit and watch with us. It's a kind of party." Turtle patrolers guard nests during the 50-to-85-day gestation period, then watch tiny hatchlings emerge from the sand pit and make their way to safety in the waters. These human friends often guide them in the right direction with flashlights; otherwise many would wander toward the dunes and be destroyed by other wildlife or under foot of vacationers. "We were all reminded of the im portance of this work a couple of weeks ago," Goodman related, "when a big leatherback, about 80 by 56 inches, was washed up on Ocean Isle. It had been massacred by a ship's motor and was already dead." Ivcathcrbacks are much larger than the other sea turtles, weighing up to 1 ,500 pounds and measuring as long as eight feet. They can live up to 150 years if they survive the rigors of modern human develop ment. In addition to accidental deaths, they arc hunted down for their leathery skin and this has been the chief factor in their ncar-extinc tion. Smaller loggerheads and green sea turtles are only 300 to 400 pounds and 3 to 6 feet in length. All feed on jellyfish and crabs, all nest from May to August, and all arc vulnerable to fishing nets, poaching and a loss of habitat in which to lay their eggs. If Brunswick Islanders have their way, though, these creatures will gel a new lease on life. While Long Beach patroler Becky Marksbcrg said insufficient time has elapsed to determine the effectiveness of turtle patrols, she added. "It must be help ing some." Anyone wishing to join the ranks of turtle protection can call her at 270-4821 or Ann King at 579 9202.
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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July 1, 1993, edition 1
52
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