The world according to me....

Nearly all the sea turtle nests laid in North Carolina during 2004 have finished their incubation and the resultant hatchlings have rushed across the sand to the ocean. Many of the sea turtle volunteers and participants in the NC Sea Turtle Project have already submitted their final summary sheets containing all the data they collected on the nests laid on their beaches. And yet, a few nests continue to incubate even now, in late October. One such late nest in the northern Outerbanks produced some green turtle hatchilngs, much to the surprise to everyone. Why was it a surprise? For two principal reasons: a) although a small number of green turtle nests are laid in NC each year, they are usually found in the southern half of the coastline; b) the nest in question was washed over many times by the high tides and swash associated with the numerous tropical storms that passed through the area this late summer and early fall. Incubating eggs that suffer repeated heavy bouts of inundation usually have low hatching success.

This hatchling in the photo still had some of its yolk-sac exposed so it is being held for a day or two until its plastron is completely closed and then it shall be released to the ocean, so it can continue on its journey.