The world according to me....

This was the scene at dusk on 03 October, 2005 in PIne Knoll Shores, NC. It is the last sea turtle nest to emerge on the island of Bogue Banks - there had been other nests on the island laid later than this nest, but they had been washed out by Hurricane Ophelia. This nest was also special because it was laid by a green sea turtle - a relatively rare but not unprecedented event in North Carolina. Most of the hatchlings from the nest emerged last Friday and Saturday nights. Yet, there were two stragglers remaining in the nest, so we got to see them and confirm that, indeed, it was laid by a green a turtle. If you want proof, see the photo below of one of the hatchlings scrambling to the surf after being liberated from the bottom of the nest:

Thus, the end of the 2005 nesting season in North Carolina is drawing to a close. There are still a few nests here and there along the coast that have not yet emerged, but soon the last nest will have run its course, making way for stranding season that usually peaks in November and December in North Carolina