Meant To Be, Our Sandcastle By The Sea

02/22/2025

12 inches of snow for Carova this past Wednesday and Thursday.

01/22/2025

Roughly 8 inches of snow has fallen on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands since Tuesday evening, according to a midday update from the National Weather Service (NWS) Newport/Morehead City office. Per the NWS report, Ocracoke recorded 8.3 inches of snow on Wednesday morning, while Rodanthe recorded 8 inch...

01/22/2025

Frosty morning at the coast❄️

01/22/2025

01/22/2025

A rare occurrence.... Carova snow!!!!

10/22/2024

10/22/2024

Two Goldens are very happy to have their beach back now that post-season has begun.
The first preparations for rental season 2025 have begun...stay tuned!

10/12/2024

10/12/2024

09/04/2024

This evening at our home, we had the rare opportunity to watch a sea turtle best hatching and babies making their way to the ocean

07/30/2024

This is why when driving at any time, we must remember that these horses are wild, they run randomly in front of vehicles, their eyes do not glow in the dark. 15mph is the speed limit - doing this speed will hopefully allow for quick stopping and limiting any harm to these wild horses

At 11:30pm on Friday, July 26 we received a 911 call that a horse who had been standing on the beach was struck by a [Read More]

06/27/2024

It’s Sea Turtle Nesting Season on the Outer Banks!
June 26, 2024
Our beaches are full of activity in the summer, and in particular from some of our seasonal visitors- the nesting sea turtles. We are fortunate to be a laying ground for several species of sea turtles, including Kemps Ridley, Green, Loggerhead, Hawksbill and Leatherback.

Kemps Ridley– One of the smaller species of nesting turtles on the Outer Banks, Kemps Ridley is a critically endangered species. Only 7,000- 9,000 nesting females are estimated to be in existence today. In the summer of 2023, three nests were found on the beaches of the Outer Banks, which will hopefully assist in this species being around for a long time.

Green Turtle– Green turtles are a larger species and can grow to 3 or 4 feet long and weigh up to 350 pounds. Their population is estimated to be between 85,000- 90,000 turtles today, which is still considered a threatened species.

Loggerhead– The Loggerhead is the most common visiting turtle to the Outer Banks. These turtles have large, oversized heads, which lends to the name to crack open some of their favorite hard-shelled crustaceans.

Hawksbill– This critically endangered species traditionally lives in tropical and subtropical climates and does occasionally nest on the beaches of the Outer Banks. The head comes to a pointed shape and their lower jaw is V-shaped, which gives them a hawk appearance.

Leatherback– The largest of all sea turtle species, Leatherbacks earned their name from the rubbery texture of their skin. They can’t chew and prefer to eat things like jellyfish as their main diet.

Nesting season for sea turtles on the Outer Banks is between May 15 and September 15. Specially trained NEST (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles) volunteers check the beach frequently for signs of a nesting sea turtle in order to identify the species, mark the nest and the date of the lay to attempt to know when the eggs will hatch. Sea turtle nests hatch between 45- 70 days, pending the size of the nest and outdoor temps and humidity.

As a visitor, these nests are marked with beach fencing, some flags and occasionally a sign to alert visitors to the active nest beneath the sand. NEST continues to observe the nest to wait for the boil, which is when the turtles hatch and begin leaving the nest.

Visitors can help the nesting sea turtles on the Outer Banks by doing the following:

1. Eliminate additional outdoor light pollution (the closer to the beach, the more important) as additional lights can confuse the nesting sea turtle and the hatchlings.

2. Fill any deep holes dug on the beach. The holes can hurt the volunteers who are roving and searching for nests and they can also trap the hatchlings and prevent them from getting to the waves for safety.

3. Leave no trace on the beach. After a day of fun in the sun with your crew, be sure to clean up all trash, beach toys, chairs, tents and anything else you brought to the beach. If you see litter, please dispose of it in the nearest trash can.

4. If you bring your pet to the beach, be sure to keep them on a leash to prevent any nest disturbances.

5. Be aware of your surroundings when driving on the beach. The farthest north that sea turtles typically lay their eggs is Carova, or the northernmost part of the Currituck Outer Banks. When traveling on the beach, especially at dusk, evening or daylight, keep your eyes peeled for nesting sea turtles.

6. If you see a nest boil or hatchlings or a turtle in distress, please contact NEST at 252-441-8622.

The turtles are very important to our ecosystem and their survival depends on everyone working together to protect them.

To learn more about the sea turtles on the Outer Banks and the conservation efforts by NEST, click here.

06/05/2024

Late this afternoon we made the sad but necessary decision to humanely euthanize the herd’s newest foal, a filly born Sunday morning named Elsa.

On Sunday when Elsa was first seen, besides being on the small side she seemed to be in decent health. She was observed nursing and was seen multiple times yesterday as well. However, this morning when one of our staff came across Elsa’s mother and two-year-old sister, she was not with them. After a quick search the foal was located out on the beach with a different harem about a half mile away. She was with a mare who was being very protective and even letting her try to nurse, but obviously Elsa was not getting any nourishment and could not be left with her.

After touching base with our vet, we decided to try and grab Elsa and take her back over to her mother to see if they could be successfully reunited. We were able to catch her and get her into the truck, but once we had our hands on her we could tell she was in very bad shape. After another conversation with the vet, and also after learning that her mother had been seen kicking at her on Sunday, we decided to forego trying to reunite them and brought Elsa directly to the farm so she could be seen by the vet.

Blood tests revealed that Elsa did not receive any colostrum, so either her mother was not producing it or Elsa was not successfully nursing. She also had pneumonia, was severely dehydrated, and while we don't think she was truly premature she was definitely dysmature. She was very sick. It became clear why Elsa’s mother had rejected her - she most likely sensed that Elsa was not going to survive.

Elsa was already fading quickly by that point so we made the decision to help her pass quietly and with no further suffering. She has been buried at the farm next to the other foals we’ve lost over the years. They are just outside the mares’ pasture so they always have a big herd of their “aunts” watching over them.

We’d like to thank our staff and volunteers who helped get Elsa to safety today. It’s difficult any time there’s a medical emergency with one of the horses, but going through this kind of thing with a foal is exceedingly hard. Our staff and volunteers always rise to the occasion and always put the horse’s needs above their own emotions, and that is not something we take for granted. We are incredibly grateful for each and every one of you.

Rest easy, Elsa.

www.corollawildhorses.org

**Media outlets have permission to share the information in this post, along with the photograph. Credit to Corolla Wild Horse Fund. At this time we have no further comments or additional information to share.