Description
For 2026, in keeping with the part of our mission to protect and nurture our natural habitat and the life that coexists with us on our beautiful coast line, the Wrightsville Beach Foundation turns its attention to our beloved sea turtles. You are probably aware that we share our beach with these majestic creatures, but do you know the history of turtles at Wrightsville Beach? Well now you will! Sea turtle history at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, is defined by decades of grassroots conservation, fluctuating nesting numbers, and localized environmental shifts. As recently as the 1930’s, sea turtles were viewed more as a commodity than something to be protected. In 1938, a cannery in Marshallberg NC (the Cape Lookout area) turned to canning sea turtles (a delicacy for turtle soup) when they ran out of clams, oysters, or land crops for the cannery.
There are seven distinct species of sea turtles living in the world’s oceans today. They belong to two main families: the leatherback family (which has only one species) and the hard-shelled family (which has six species). Of these six, four live along our coast. The Loggerhead sea turtle is by far the most common turtle found on Wrightsville Beach, making up the vast majority of local nests. Other rare visitors that occasionally nest or swim off the North Carolina coast include Green sea turtles, Leatherbacks, and Kemp’s Ridleys. Nests are typically found May 1 through August 31 (with hatching continuing into November!)
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