Sept. 2, 2024
The remaining bird nesting closure south of Ramp 72 has been lifted now that the sole Black Skimmer has fledged over the weekend, according to Mike Barber, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore public affairs specialist.
The area is now open to ORVs and pedestrians.
“There are a number of sea turtle nests remaining on the island that will continue to result in short-term closures while within their hatch windows,” Barber wrote in response to an inquiry. The average incubation period for sea turtles is 55 to 60 days.
The Seashore’s Resource Management Field Summary reports that as of Aug. 29, there have been 100 sea turtle nests on Ocracoke with 26 already hatched. The entire Cape Hatteras National Seashore has 299 sea turtle nests with 106 nests hatched. These sea turtle nests are all loggerheads except for two leatherback, four green, and one Kemp’s ridley.
