The Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program (OISTPP) is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization whose mission is to monitor and protect the sea turtle population that visits the Oak Island, NC beach strand.
29 Nests
2026 Nest Stats
| Total Nests | 29 | Incubating | 29 | Emerged | 0 | Inventoried | 0 |
We are so thankful for the excitement and interest in our program and sea turtles! We ask that you please read this before calling or sending us messages! We hope this information will help answer your questions.
- We do not share locations of nests per the NCWRC. All Oak Island nests are located on the beach within the city limits, from Martin Streest (East) to the Point (West).
- All NC Sea Turtle Beach programs hold a permit from the NCWRC and follow all of the state requirements, guidelines, and recommendations.
- We can never predict when the hatchlings will emerge, nature decides. You are welcome to visit and sit with us at a nest. Nests that are in the time frame for emergence have green edging wrapped around the nest with a runway leading toward the water.
- If you are interested in an excavation, please visit the nest you are interested in to ask the volunteers about that particular nest. Volunteers are usually at the nest after 7:30 pm.
- Public excavations will be announced on Facebook .
- We appreciate the interest and excitement for the sea turtles that visit Oak Island. We hope you get the opportunity to see a nest and our hatchlings. Please call us anytime, 24/7, to let us know of any sea turtle activity without a volunteer present. 910.945.8888
Thank you for visiting our website! We hope you join us at a nest in 2026!
This is Oak Island’s 37th year of sea turtle conservation. We appreciate our volunteers, locals, and visitors who support our program and help us care for the turtles. THANK YOU!
Call Us Anytime Day or Night! Help Us Protect Our Sea Turtles!
Please follow these guidelines to help us protect and care for our sea turtles! It is a federal offense to remove a sea turtle from the beach area, to harass a sea turtle, or to disturb a sea turtle or the nest area.
If you see a nesting turtle or hatchlings, please call us immediately.
- Do not shine red or white lights on any sea turtles.
- Please stay back behind a nesting turtle a minimum of 20 feet.
- Please stay quiet. Loud noises can disturb her.
- Do not take flash photography of any sea turtles.
- Please fill in any holes on the beach for the safety of sea turtles, other wildlife, and humans.
- Please remove your trash from the beach area.
- Do not leave any gear (canopies, chairs, volleyball nets, etc…) overnight.
- Please do not walk on the dunes.
If you hook a sea turtle, please call us immediately!
- Use a net to bring the turtle in or walk the turtle to the shore while it is still on the line.
- If you cut the line, please leave at least 2 ft. for us to tape the line to the back of the carapace.
- Please shade the turtle so it does not sit in the hot sun.
- Please never remove a hook from its mouth or throat!
Thank you for being respectful of all of our marine/wildlife and our environment!
With your help, we can collaborate together to always do what is best for our sea turtles! Thank you for caring!
Who We Are
The Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program (OISTPP) is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental and conservation organization whose mission is to monitor and protect the sea turtle population that visits the Oak Island beach strand and to foster community-based conservation, education, and preservation. OISTPP was founded in 1989 and is authorized by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) to conduct its activities to monitor and protect sea turtles. Suzan & Greg Bell, Coordinators and Permit Holders, work closely with biologists from the NCWRC to ensure that the Commission’s guidelines and regulations are followed. All of our volunteers are required to wear an official OISTPP badge during any sea turtle activity. If you have any issues, questions, or concerns, please ask to see the badge to make sure you are speaking with an official program volunteer.
Friends of Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program is our tax deductible 501(c)(3) organization – EIN 46-3378040.
Over 200+ dedicated volunteers are involved in the program. We love sharing information about sea turtles to visitors who stop by our nests and we welcome anyone to come and sit with us at night!
What We Do
The Patrol Team monitors for signs of turtle tracks and nests. If a nest is found, a GPS location is taken and recorded and the nest is marked and protected. The Patrol Team responds to nesting sea turtles and after the nest is laid, data is collected from the turtle for research purposes. The Patrol team also responds to sick, stranded, and injured turtles and if necessary transports them to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City. The Patrol Team also ensures that any dead turtles that wash up on the beach receive proper disposition.
50 days after a nest is laid, Nest Parents begin a nightly vigil, monitoring the nest for the emergence of hatchlings, and protecting them from any predators, bright lights, or other hazards which could hinder a safe journey to the ocean. Nest Parents set up a runway from the nest using green landscape edging which is maintained until the nest emerges and is excavated. Nest Parents also serve as mentors to new volunteers we call Trainees.
OISTPP provides and promotes educational opportunities at many local outreach events, including Earth Day, the Oak Island Farmers & Artisans’ Market, and at our nest sites. Additionally, we are happy to offer these programs upon request from schools, churches, organizations, and clubs.
We love to educate and we love to learn!
Where We Monitor and When
Although a stranded, sick, or injured turtle can visit our beach any time of year, the vast majority of volunteer activity occurs May through October during the nesting and hatching season. Daily monitoring of the nesting beach within the town limits (approximately 10.5 miles) occurs during this nesting season. We monitor the Oak Island Town limits from Martin Street (East Beach) to The Point (West Beach).
Why We Do It
In 1973 the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed into law for both domestic and international conservation. The act aims to provide a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats. States are provided with financial assistance and incentives to develop and maintain conservation programs. In North Carolina, we work under the supervision of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC).
The OISTPP Program Coordinators receive a yearly Endangered Species Permit from the NCWRC (ES Permit 26ST01) . The Coordinators and the registered volunteers under their authority conduct their activities as designated agents of the NCWRC, pursuant to General Statute (GS) 113-129, GS 113-331, GS 113-333, and Rule 15A NCAC 101.0102.
Endangered Species Act (US Coastal Waters)
2026
Kemp’s ridley– Critically Endangered
Hawksbill– Critically Endangered
Green– Least Concerned/Threatened
Loggerhead– Threatened/Endangered
Leatherback– Vulnerable/Endangered
Olive Ridley– Vulnerable/Threatened
Flatback– Data Deficient (regional to Australia)
Tracking our nesting data
All of our nesting activities are reported to the Sea Turtle Nest Monitoring System created by seaturtle.org. This is a data management network that helps organizations around the world, including ours, to collect and store data in a standardized format to support research and conservation. By visiting seaturtle.org, both volunteers and the public can access data specifically for Oak Island’s sea turtle population for any given year.
We Love Our Town!
We hope you get the opportunity to come and visit us! We have a beautiful town full of unique shops and fun experiences for all ages! Please visit our town website to learn more! We also ask that when you are on the beach, please follow our town beach rules and be respectful of our environment and all marine and wildlife! Remember to call us (anytime day or night) if you see any sea turtle activity (nesting turtles, stranded turtles, or emerging hatchlings) at 910.945.8888.
Have fun and enjoy, and we hope to see you on the beach!