Outer Banks: Sunday Afternoon Fun at the Beach

Posted on October 19, 2010

Outer Banks Wide Open Spaces

Fall has settled on the Outer Banks, and with it comes perfect OBX beach weather.

This past weekend brought bright sun, blue skies, warm temps in the 70′s, and a light off-shore wind cleaning up waist high waves. A perfect day to enjoy the sun and take in the sights.

The beach is always interesting. Never know what will turn up. A nature exhibit, interesting people watching, great surfing? Who knows?

This past Sunday we had it all. Wide open spaces, a sea turtle boil, hula hoopers, a jet ski pulling a dude on a surfboard, some surfers, lots of people watching, and some quality time with the family.

Here’s a quick picture essay of the days events.

Enjoy.

Rare Sea Turtle Nests on the Outer Banks

Posted on June 17, 2010

Outer Banks Sea Turtle

The 2010 sea turtle nesting season is off to a great start on the Outer Banks.

NEST (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles) is reporting that they have already confirmed two nests. This is the earliest nesting on the OBX in about seven years.

One of the nests is from a Loggerhead, and a NEST volunteer had the pleasure of discovering the nest as the mother turtle was covering the eggs; it’s relatively rare to catch a glimpse of the mother. After covering the nest, Mama returned back to the Atlantic.

The second nest provided an even bigger surprise. The next morning, a rare Kemp’s Ridley mother climbed ashore to nest. Kemp’s are known to migrate through the North Carolina waters, and some have washed ashore, but it is very rare for one to nest on the NC beaches; only two Kemp’s Ridley nests have been documented on North Carolina beaches, and none along the Outer Banks.

This is a great indication that the Kemp’s Ridley are fighting their way back from the brink of extinction with the help of great programs like NEST.

Sea Turtles on the Outer Banks

Posted on May 27, 2009

turtle The American Tortoise Rescue is a organization that was founded in 1990 in Malibu California. This group founded National Turtle Day in 2000. On this holiday the group wanted to call attention to some of the issues that threaten the turtle populations of the world today. Here are some highlights that we thought might be interesting to point out.

What to do if you find a turtle that is healthy?:

If the turtle is not is any serious harm, then you should not attempt to move it. It is also not a good idea to take a turtle home. Taking the turtle away from its natural habitat can be harmful to the turtle.

What if this turtle is injured or sick?

Call the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter at 252-240-1200. Many times the turtle will not need medical attention. If the turtle is injured, then it is a good idea to keep the turtle in a box(obviously sized according to the size of the turtle)

For more information, visit the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter online, www.owlsonline.org.