See adorable ‘last straggler’ wiggle out of the nest on Outer Banks. ‘Go little buddy!’
A baby sea turtle made its march toward the sea after emerging on an Outer Banks beach, according to a video posted by National Park Service officials.
The hatchling’s determination to shed its sandy digs on Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, was cheered by wildlife lovers who watched “the last straggler” leave a Kemp’s Ridley nest that hatched earlier this week, Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials said on Facebook.
Beachgoers spotted the tiny turtles headed for the sea and called the Stranding Hotline, according to the social media post. Biologists responded in time to document the special milestone.
“This is so precious!!!!!” one person commented under the video. “I hope to see this in person one day.”
Another was equally moved, writing: “Such a beautiful sight to witness.”
“Go little buddy!” someone else wrote. “You’ve got this.”
The baby turtle hatched from a nest that was laid June 26, Seashore officials said in the comments. Its mother initially buried her eggs at Hatteras Inlet but the nest was relocated, officials said.
The Kemp’s Ridley is just one of five species of sea turtles that frequent the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, according to the National Park Service website. Other varieties include the leatherback, hawksbill, green and loggerhead.
Every summer, the turtles — many of them endangered or threatened — return to the Outer Banks to lay their eggs, officials said. Each of the species can be found in the waters year round, but female loggerheads, green turtles and the occasional Kemp’s Ridley are known to nest on the beaches.
“There are many more nests waiting to hatch!” Seashore officials said on Facebook. “So far, out of the 352 nests on the Seashore, over 50 have hatched/been inventoried.”
This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 12:02 PM with the headline "See adorable ‘last straggler’ wiggle out of the nest on Outer Banks. ‘Go little buddy!’."