The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Center

09/11/2026

Welcome back to Fun Fact Friday! With hatching season in full swing, we’re sharing one of our favorite sea turtle hatching facts! 🐢

Did you know a sea turtle’s s*x is influenced by the temperature of the sand?🌡

Unlike humans and many other animals, sea turtles don’t have their s*x determined at fertilization. Instead, the temperature of the nest during incubation plays a major role in whether hatchlings develop as male or female.

Cooler sand temperatures are more likely to produce males, while warmer temperatures are more likely to produce females. Since temperatures can vary throughout a nest, one nest can produce a mix of males and females!

North Carolina is especially important for sea turtles. Because our beaches are farther north than many other nesting sites along the East Coast, our cooler temperatures may help produce more male sea turtles. This makes North Carolina an important part of the sea turtle population!

Every nest plays an important role in the future of sea turtle populations.
(Source: NOAA Fisheries)

This work for protected at is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 26ST05.

09/10/2026

Sea Turtle Release 09-10-26

09/10/2026

TBT! So much to remember here. Our gift shop 1998-2013. With no room inside (an understatement) we set up the gift shop, complete with cat, in the parking area and struck it every single day of the summer. We ran one long phone cord from the wall phone to the credit card machine everyday, rendering the phone useless. These two lovely women, Anita and Peggy, were the anchors of the operation, and we are forever grateful the long, hot hours they spent outside at the table. And we are forever grateful for the 1000s of visitors who waited in long lines in the heat of the summer to meet our patients and support our mission. Those early days make today possible. Yours truly (and so many other volunteers) went without AC so you don't have to.

09/09/2026

NEWS FLASH: Two additional turtles were added to tomorrow's Sea Turtle Release! The final list of turtles is:
Greens: Banana Pudding, Beignet, Bread Puddin, Cookie, Nougat, Queen Cake, Snickerdoodle
Loggerheads: Pumpkin Spice (pictured), Whoopie Pie

The release is tomorrow, Thursday, September 10, 10 am in North Topsail Beach.
For location details and information about the turtles, please visit: https://conta.cc/4qZ4uIt


This work for protected at and on is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 26ST05.

09/09/2026

Whoopie Pie and six friends are going home! Join us Thursday, September 10 for a sea turtle release! Location details and a list of turtles available in the link below. 🐢 💚🌊🐢
https://conta.cc/4qZ4uIt

This work for protected at and on is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 26ST05.

Email from The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Center Banana Pudding and friends are going back to their ocean home!   Sea Turtle Release this Thursday! 8 September 2026  Greetings! Did you know that Banana

09/03/2026

TBT! We remember our first KBSTRRC staff shirt, circa 1998 ish. I don't know how many were printed, I am guessing about 6, and after wearing mine out I framed it.
This remains Yours truly's favorite shirt in 30 years with the project.

09/02/2026

Last but certainly not least, we’re excited to introduce our final Junior Intern of the summer! Please meet Taylor!

"This has been one of the BEST experiences ever! I absolutely loved getting to learn both the husbandry side and education side of things!! If anything, this program has only further confirmed my future career aspirations. Thank you to everyone at KBSTRRC for everything :)"

We are so glad this experience has helped guide you toward your future aspirations! We want to thank you for all the hard work and dedication you put into your internship. We truly appreciate your enthusiasm for conservation and hope you continue to inspire others wherever you go. We wish you the very best and know you will accomplish great things in the future!

This work for protected at is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 26ST05.

08/31/2026

Next up in our Session 6 Junior Intern introductions is Josie!

"Before my first day at the sea turtle hospital, I was nervous because I didn't know if I was going to be able to properly take care of the sea turtles. Over the first few days, I got more confident about taking care of the sea turtles because I did the same routine everyday. Also, the volunteers were extremely helpful when I had questions. I was also scared to give the tours at first but since I was able to give family and friends tours, I was able to practice. By the second week, I felt very good about my tours and feel like I was able to educate the tour participants. I also enjoyed learning all of the current patient's personalities, like Pumpkin Spice loving to go into her "cave." Among many other things, I learned that sea turtles can easily be injured and even die due to the negligence of humans. I really value my time and experience at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital. Thank you for having me."

Thank you, Josie, for spending your time with us as an intern! We’re so proud of the confidence you’ve gained throughout your internship and so happy that you enjoyed your time with us. We hope you’re able to carry the skills and experiences you gained here into whatever comes next. Wishing you the very best on all of your future adventures!

This work for protected at is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 26ST05.

08/28/2026

Today, with a small splash and lots of flowers, Jean and Fred Beasley were laid to rest in a reef ball offshore at Dare's Reef. They are greatly missed.

Jean and Fred, you are forever in our hearts. Thank you for the legacy you have built in the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Center. We will carry it forward in your honor.

Two and a half miles off the coast of Topsail Beach, Dare's Reef is the first sea turtle memorial artificial reef in the U.S. It was built by Eternal Reefs, working in partnership with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries to create habitat for fish, sea turtles, and other ocean creatures. With its reef balls made of environmentally safe concrete, Eternal Reefs offers a memorial option that serves as a permanent environmental living legacy. Dare was a Kemp's ridley turtle who one of the first patients at our first sea turtle hospital in Topsail Beach. After facing extraordinary challenges, Dare eventually succumbed to her injuries. All of us at KBSTC feel honored to partner with Eternal Reefs and dozens of families over the years as they memorialize their loved ones while creating new life in the ocean.

Many thanks to: the staff of Eternal Reefs, the NC Division of Marine Fisheries, Captain Taylor and , the crew of the Sherri D, and .

08/26/2026

We’re excited to introduce our next Junior Intern, Rhea!

"My experience at KBSTRRC was definitely different than any other experience I have had. It was a great learning experience and I learned things I wouldn’t learn anywhere else. All the volunteers, senior interns and the staff were so helpful and kind (shoutout Mary!!) in answering all my questions and teaching me how everything here works. This internship also helped with my public speaking! Going on tours and meeting all kinds of people from different places was a really unique experience!

I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to be apart of this team for two weeks, meet all these cool people, and help these turtles in a different way"!

Rhea, we want to thank you for spending two weeks of your summer with us! We are so grateful for all of your hard work and dedication throughout your internship. We’re thrilled that you were able to learn new skills, and gain valuable experience with us. We’ve loved having you as part of our team and wish you the very best in whatever the future holds for you!

This work for protected at is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 26ST05.