THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408110184
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 59 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Officer Bruce Farmer of the Kill Devil Hills Police Department is deserving of our thanks for his wisdom in realizing that his duties in service and protection of the community extend not only to human development but also to the natural community, whose beauty entrances Outer Banks residents and visitors alike.
One night this July, Officer Farmer was on the scene when we, volunteers for the State of North Carolina Sea Turtle Watch, arrived at the site of an endangered loggerhead turtle's nest. Officer Farmer's actions in protecting the nest from harm and his willingness to provide all assistance necessary for the protection and relocation of that nest are a credit to him and his department. Nests do require protection from human interference. This year 11 nests in South Carolina were raided for their eggs, removing 1,320 hatchlings from the fight to save this endangered species.
Sea turtles are surely our neighbors. Having nested on these ocean shores for 150 million years, if anyone deserves to be called ``native'' here, they do. When Columbus first viewed the Cayman Islands a sailor described the sea as ``full of little rocks'' - so plentiful were the sea turtles. But now only 300 to 500 nesting females use the North Carolina coast and the numbers grow smaller each year.
Here are ways that you can play a part in helping ensure the survival of this endangered species. If you see a turtle on the beach, alive or dead, report it. If you see a turtle crawling or nesting on the beach, report it. If the turtle is laying eggs, stay back and don't disturb her. Flash pictures and bright lights might disorient the turtle and cause her harm. So enjoy the beauty from a distance, note the nest site and report it quickly, so that we may assist in its protection and help the hatchlings to survive. Report turtle activities to The North Carolina Aquarium, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department or Dare County.
Our heart-felt thanks to Officer Farmer and the K.D.H. Police Department for their dedicated service.
Robert W. Fearn
Pamela L. Rowe
N.C. Sea Turtle Watch by CNB