Even though we’ve recently been appreciating those daytime temps in the 70’s cold stun season is definitely here. Right before Christmas we admitted 22 turtles found on North Carolina beaches - one good-sized loggerhead and 21 small greens. They were in pretty rough shape, sometimes more barnacle, mud and algae than turtle. Last week, two more were brought in. For years we’ve emphasized that our...
As the weather and the waters turn chilly, the doors of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital close to visitors – that’s human visitors, specifically. However, the hospital doors swing wide to accept new patients. And it’s time for an influx of cold stunned turtles. These poor little creatures get caught in chilly waters and it distresses their systems. Sea turtles, as in all reptiles, rely...
How about a “honey” of a story for Christmas week, and no cold stuns were harmed in this one. Back in June the fishing was good and the turtles were taking advantage of the easy pickings along the inshore waters. Regular readers know by now that it always seems to be the Kemp’s Ridleys who get themselves in trouble by eating anything dangling in front of them. This little critter was no exception....
He’s here – our first local cold stun of this season. And as usual it’s a little green who didn’t get the memo that he should have started heading out of Dodge and into warmer waters. On Nov. 14, the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation received a call from some very alert folks in Surf City who noticed a little turtle struggling in the canal on 9th Street. We’ve been passing...
The Hampstead Women's Club is returning with their biggest holiday sale of the year on Dec. 5, 12 - 6 p.m., Dec. 6, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Throughout the year, as the club receives holiday-themed donations, they save those speciality buys for this big event. The Christmas Bazaar is such an area favorite, known for great buys, shoppers line up at the doors on Thursday. Throughout...
PENDER COUNTY – Dust off the sleigh and get ready to mark your calendars for holiday events. There’s a tremendous amount of Christmas Spirit right here in Pender County. We’re going to list the events in chronological order. Several events kick off before Thanksgiving. There’s a reason for that! This year Thanksgiving is late, leaving only two weekends in December for holiday events –...
Sea Turtle Hospital News We’re all enjoying our spectacular North Carolina October weather, but Mother Nature will undoubtedly surprise us with a cold snap or two soon. And that means we’ll start to see our first influx of cold-stunned turtles. Hopefully most of these critters have started migrating either farther out to the Gulf Stream or headed south toward the Gulf Coast. But there are always stragglers...
Sea Turtle Hospital News The 2019 nesting season is coming to a close with 177 nests, just short of our record of 181. It’s been a hectic and grueling summer for our Topsail Turtle Project volunteers who have hoofed probably thousands of miles looking for tracks, spent countless hours on their knees digging up and relocating nests laid in perilous locations and then lost (and continue to lose) sleep as they sit...
Three hikes happening in Pender County BURGAW – Pender County is celebrating the birthday of the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) with three family-friendly hikes in Burgaw, Currie, and Surf City. “We are pleased to host three birthday hikes this year,” said Tammy Proctor, Pender County tourism director. “Each hike is diverse and fun for all ages.” The hike in Burgaw, which will...
Here on Topsail that sound we’re now hearing late at night is the pitter-patter of tiny flippers scurrying down to the surf. With the official nesting season ending on August 30th our Turtle Project volunteers are spending much more of their beach time in the dark as hundreds of babies start that perilous journey, hoping to be the one out of the thousands of their siblings that actually makes it. Back at the...
Take a tasty trek with us on the Topsail Sweet Tooth Trail. This hike will begin on the mainland in Surf City. Our first stop is Mia’s Marketplace. Yes, this locally owned and operated shop features beautiful clothing, home décor, and jewelry, however, take a hike to the rear of the shop to their fabulous candy shop. Do you remember Penny Candy? Mia’s offers a wide variety of unique candies, in...
Sea Turtle Hospital News Our patients may not have calendars with “save the date” hanging in their tanks but they all seemed to sense that something special was happening very soon. Our volunteers spent the week prior to June 5giving them extra pats on their carapaces, maybe sneaking a few extra squid into their breakfasts and saying their goodbyes. Then last Wednesday we loaded up 20 rehabilitated sea...
Southeast Tourism Society selects Pender’s Ghost Walk as an ‘STS Top 20 Event’ BURGAW - Southeast Tourism Society (STS) named Ghost Walk: Ghosts of Pender’s Past as one of the STS Top 20 Events in the Southeast for October 2019. Ghost Walk: Ghosts of Pender’s Past, an annual event, is set for Oct. 11 - 12. It is an all-volunteer production featuring actors, sets, and tour guides....
Wade into Topsail Island’s Summer Adventures PENDER COUNTY – While a relaxing day on the beach is nice, don’t miss the opportunity to take a Summer Adventure on Topsail Island. This is the summer to experience something new! The Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, and Pender County’s rivers provide a watery playground. There’s no better way to enjoy Topsail Island than...
Our loggerhead ladies are officially back in town and we have the nests to prove it. Topsail Turtle Project volunteers at the north end of the island reported the first nest of the season on Tuesday, May 14 with more being reported since in other areas. That’s a positive sign that just maybe our turtles think our beaches are still a great place to raise their families despite what Hurricane Flo did to us last year....
SURF CITY – A convenient transportation solution is rolling into town Memorial Weekend. The Surf City Shuttle, a women-owned and women-certified business, will shuttle shoppers, diners, and beach goers around town. “We started this business because we felt the service was much needed,” said Michelle Kosinski, who started Surf City Shuttle with Devon Shirley. Michelle and Devon, with their...
Moores Creek Battleground Association President Connie Hendrix announced that the Association’s June 1st Annual Meeting and Covered Dish Luncheon will feature as guest speaker Medal of Honor recipient Col. W. Joseph Marm, Jr. (USA, Retired). Colonel Marm was a 2nd Lt. in Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment when his unit was engaged in fierce combat in the bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War against...
Pender County tourism welcomed NC Coast Host TOPSAIL BEACH – Pender County Tourism, with the partnership of the Historical Society of Topsail Island, welcomed NC Coast Host to Topsail Beach. NC Coast Host, which meets quarterly, conducted their annual meeting at the Assembly Building on May 2. From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. the organization met with various media for advertising opportunities and two workshops. ...
Sea Turtle Hospital News April was a mixed month for hospital admits. In the past few days we saw our first wave of Kemp’s who starting dining off our local piers and paid the price by being hooked. But earlier in the month we admitted a handful of turtles that somehow managed to survive cold-stunning at some point and yet make it through the winter months. Now they were too debilitated to keep fighting but were...
It finally seems that most of the cold weather is behind us. And almost all of the cold-stunned turtles we admitted over the winter have recovered and are anxiously awaiting a ride out to warmer waters. But as you’ve learned over the years from this column and/or your visits to our hospital rehabilitating cold-stun victims can be a long and arduous journey. Twenty-plus years of experience with hundreds of cold-stuns...
Turtle Project volunteers aka “beach walkers” are the first line of defense for our sea turtles as they begin heading to Topsail to nest, officially between May 1st and the end of August. It’s a chance for you to get involved in the effort to preserve these incredible creatures who are under increasing pressure to survive as our oceans and nesting areas become less hospitable. Terry Meyer, who has...
TOPSAIL BEACH – A piece of the Surf City Swing Bridge was presented to the Historical Society of Topsail Island (HSTI) for display in the Missiles and More Museum. The presentation by Topsail artist Jeff Wenzel, was made at the March 14 HSTI luncheon and lecture. The 5-ft. steel truss and the wood base from the fender system are actual pieces from the iconic structure. The pieces were cut by Balfour Beatty and...
Sea Turtle Hospital News Although we close to the public during the winter months we’re not all off on cruises or eating bonbons and watching the soaps. We’ve been very, very busy, starting in early December when we admitted seven small cold-stunned loggerheads, most from the New England Aquarium. A “small loggerhead” in our business is anything under about fifty pounds. As the annual showing...
SURF CITY – The Pender County Tourism Development Authority hosted a press conference today to give an update on the progress of the two beach towns, Topsail Beach and Surf City, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. “We are open for business,” said Cathy Medlin, owner of Island Real Estate. “Our vacationers may not own a home here, but many of our vacationers have come to Topsail Island one...
Goodbye Flo! We’re finally getting our heads and properties back together after being harassed for a week by a hurricane that was moving slower than most of us could walk. The good news is that our turtles and our hospital came through unscathed. The building is steel frame with a metal roof and held up beautifully. And kudos to three of our staff who stayed on site throughout the hurricane and aftermath to make...
