Lewes-hatched sea turtles released off North Carolina

Seven of the eight green sea turtle hatchlings from Cape Henlopen State Park were released late last week just off the coast of North Carolina.One turtle remains in the care of biologists at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll. Four other hatchlings died, as well as the remaining eggs from the 190-egg clutch were determined to be not viable.The release of the turtles marks the final leg in a nomadic adventure that started in August on the beach at Herring Point at Cape Henlopen State Park.These remarkable turtles were threatened by high tides, predators, hurricanes, tropical storms as well as unfavorable temperatures, said Collin OMara, secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources as well as Environmental Control.They survived with the support of a human team that included our Fish as well as Wildlife biologists, MERR [Marine Education, Research as well as Rehabilitation] Institute volunteers, the University of Delaware as well as our federal as well as North Carolina state partners, OMara said. To hear that they have been returned to the sea to continue their inspiring journey makes all this effort worthwhile, as well as I commend our staff as well as all who helped them along their way.The story began at 2:48 a.m. Aug. 18, when Cape Henlopen Park Ranger Curtis Reynolds was doing a routine patrol along the beach at Herring Point.He noticed the turtle, realized she was laying eggs as well as quickly contacted park ranger as well as MERR volunteer Keith Betts.For the next several hours, Betts kept people away from the turtle so she could complete her egg laying.The nest was marked with PVC pipe as well as yellow caution tape, as well as over the next several hours, officials with MERR worked with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to get permission to move the nest above the high-tide line.That afternoon, they carefully extracted 194 eggs from the nest as well as placed them higher on the beach in an area less vulnerable to high water.The sea turtle nest was the first documented in ! the stat e. In addition, they were green turtle eggs, a species more common in the Caribbean as well as off the coast of Florida.