OCRACOKE, N.C. (WNCN) — Loggerhead sea turtles created their first nest of the year at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore this week, officials said.
Sometime overnight into Friday morning, a turtle walked up out of the ocean, dug a hole in the sand and deposited eggs — later covering up the hole, according to officials at the national seashore.
At daybreak, park biologists spotted the tracks in the Ocracoke Island sand and “carefully” dug in the sand to find the eggs.
“After confirmation, the nest was covered back up, and rope fencing installed to protect the nest from being walked on or run over,” officials said in a Facebook post about the event.
Photos from the seashore showed the turtle tracks in the sand and at least four eggs in a hole.
The May 12 nest discovery is the earliest since 2021 when the first egg deposit was found on May 14, officials said.
