Loggerhead turtles hatch in Fenwick Island State Park

For the first time since 1973, loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings have emerged from a Delaware beach and shuffled their way to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced Oct. 24 that 48 loggerhead hatchlings emerged from a nest in Fenwick Island State Park in late September, but the announcement was delayed until an assessment of the nest took place in October. The assessment revealed 49 of the 78 eggs had hatched; one of the hatchlings died in the nest cavity.

In an email Oct. 24, Suzanne Thurman, executive director of MERR Institute, said the loggerhead nested at James Street in Fenwick Island early on the morning July 8. She said the nest had to be relocated due to its location in the tide zone and because a beach replenishment project had been slated to start within days.

The loggerhead sea turtle is a federally listed threatened species and a state listed endangered species in Delaware. On the East Coast, loggerheads typically nest on sandy beaches from North Carolina to Florida, DNREC officials said.

There has been at least one other sea turtle nesting since 1973. Fish and Wildlife biologist Jason Davis said Oct. 25 a green sea turtle nested in Cape Henlopen State Park in 2011.

Thurman said it’s unclear if the recent loggerhead nesting was an anomaly or a sign of sea turtles moving nesting grounds further north. In addition to the green turtle, Thurman said a loggerhead nested successfully in Assateague Island National Seashore and a successful nesting of a Kemp’s ridley in New York this summer.

“If this continues, it could indicate that sea turtles, along with many other species, are trying to adjust to warmer temperatures by moving ever northward,” said Thurman. “Loggerheads typically reach maturity at about 20 years of age, so it will be interesting to see if these little loggerheads return to the same beach on which they imprinted to lay their own nests.”