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Sea Isle Terrapin Rescue founder Steve Ahern, in foreground, and other volunteers check out turtle nesting boxes at the Sea Isle library last fall. (Photo courtesy of Steve and Susan Ahern)

By Maddy Vitale

Steve and Susan Ahern, the founders of the Sea Isle Terrapin Rescue, had a daunting task Saturday morning.

They had to dismantle two, very large turtle nesting boxes located outside the library.

Luckily, they had the help of their son, Michael, and a cadre of Environmental Commission members and other volunteers.

The work was difficult. It took about five hours. But the result was priceless.

Diamondback terrapins lay eight to 12 eggs at a time and they come out an average of three times during a nesting season from June 1 to July 15. So, the Aherns created nesting habitats for the precious turtles to try to save them from cars along Sea Isle Boulevard and other areas of the community, as well as predators.

The Aherns set out Saturday to not only dismantle the boxes for the season, but to see if the eggs in the containers hatched and if there were hatchlings present.

They found both.

“This year was much more rewarding because we actually found 50 live turtles,” Steve Ahern said. “We got to unearth them and get them ready to go back to the marsh. We also found around 50 different nests and evidence of about 223 eggs, in addition to the turtles we found.”

He said some turtles hatch and venture out. Others prefer to stay in the nesting boxes until about April or May, which is why the volunteers relocated the turtles to the marsh.

“During that time there are so many storms and flooding,” Ahern noted. “They are probably safest when they hunker down at the edge of the marsh. They should be safer there.”

Here are some terrapins unearthed from one of the nesting boxes.

Ahern called the long, but rewarding day, a success.

“It worked out very well. It was very different than last year,” he said. “Last year, we found evidence of eggs that had hatched, and we assumed they went out to the marsh, but we didn’t find any live turtles.”

With the terrapins going into hibernation, one would think the Aherns’ work would be done.

Not so. They are planning for next year.

“Right now, most of the turtles should be in hibernation mode and they will be active again in the back bays in March or April,” Ahern said.

The goal for 2019 is to construct a third nesting box, to be installed in a location yet to be determined in Sea Isle around April, he said.

But for 2018, the nesting boxes proved to be a real help in the work to protect terrapins.

Ahern attributed some of the success of the nesting boxes this year to a new design that created added protection around the perimeter from predators.

The Aherns’ son, Michael, was responsible for the improved design. He added a piece of wood around the perimeter, making it more difficult for predators such as skunks, raccoons and foxes to dig their way in.

The Aherns said the Wetlands Institute of Stone Harbor and the Sea Isle Environmental Commission have been instrumental in making sure that their goal to help terrapins is possible through funding and installation of fencing, as well as financial support for the nesting boxes.

Volunteers Saturday included Anne Finley, Annette Lombardo, Ron Kovatis, Marc Virgilio, Dudley McGinty, Michael Ahern and Ralph Boerner.

Turtle nesting boxes behind the Sea Isle Library provide a safe place for terrapins to lay their eggs.