Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting in North Carolina by Matthew Godfrey, Sea Turtle Biologist, and Sarah Finn, Coastal Wildlife Diversity Biologist
I n 1966, Frank Schwartz at the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Science in Morehead City, North Carolina, received a report of a handful of live Leatherback Sea Turtle hatchlings crawl- ing down the beach at South Core Banks in Carteret County, sug- gesting that a Leatherback Sea Turtle nested there earlier that sea- son. However, he considered the record as “possible” because no photos or other evidence was presented. It wasn’t until 1998 that Leatherback nesting in North Carolina was confirmed when two females were observed laying eggs at Cape Hatteras National Sea- shore in Dare County. Since that year, there have been 63 confirmed Leatherback nests laid in North Carolina, including six nests laid during the 2026 sea turtle season. The first nest of this year was laid in late April on Atlantic Beach in Carteret County, and the female turtle was observed on the beach at dawn, returning to the water after nesting. Because Leatherback eggs are larger and laid deeper in the sand, the incubation period of the eggs tends to be longer than Loggerhead Sea Turtle eggs. It is expected that the Leatherback eggs in Atlantic Beach will produce hatchlings in late July or early August. The other Leatherback nests, laid at the Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores, will likely produce hatchlings in August or September.
NCWRC STAFF
Above: The distinctive crawl associated with a Leatherback Sea Tur- tle that nested in Atlantic Beach. Left: The adult female Leatherback Sea Turtle returning to the water after nesting in Atlantic Beach.
NCWRC STAFF
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