Good news for sea turtles! news for sea turtles!
The 2026 nesting season was an especially successful one along North Carolina’s coast, including Topsail Island, where 152 sea turtle nests were recorded this year—up from 91 in 2025.
According to a November 5 article in the Wilmington StarNews, North Carolina recorded 2,042 sea turtle nests this season, with Topsail Island ranking fourth among the state’s nesting beaches. The absence of major tropical storms helped provide favorable conditions for nesting and hatching.
Of the 152 nests on Topsail Island, 145 were loggerhead nests and seven were green sea turtle nests. More than 15,000 hatchlings emerged from nests along the island’s 26 miles of shoreline—an encouraging result for these protected marine animals.
Three Successful Nests at Topsail Nature Preserve
Here at Topsail Nature Preserve (The Point), three sea turtle nests were recorded during the 2026 season and all hatched successfully!
Conserve The Point – Topsail (CTP) volunteers and community members participated in the sea turtle nest monitoring team coordinated by the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Working alongside dedicated volunteers across Topsail Island, they helped support the ongoing effort to monitor and protect nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings.
We extend our thanks to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and all the volunteers who devote their time to protecting sea turtles on Topsail Island.
The successful season reminds us that Topsail Nature Preserve is not only protected land, but a living habitat where conservation and community stewardship make a difference.
Together, we’re helping ensure that Topsail Nature Preserve remains a welcoming habitat for wildlife for generations to come.
Learn More
Earlier this year, we shared a blog about sea turtle nesting, the challenges these remarkable animals face, and simple ways beachgoers can help protect them. Read our earlier sea turtle blog post to learn how you can make a difference.
Source: Gareth McGrath, “As tropical storms stayed away, sea turtles thrived on NC beaches in 2026,” Wilmington StarNews, November 5, 2026.