Slow Down for Turtle Time at the Shore

By MADDY VITALE Diamondback terrapin nesting season is here. That means drivers need to be careful when traveling on and off the barrier islands. Sea Isle Terrapin Rescue co-founder Steve Ahern said that turtles are coming in to lay their eggs, and everything, so far, seems to be going well. Terrapins live in salt marshes. They leave the marshlands in search of sandy soil to lay their eggs during nesting season, which typically is in May to August. This season, it began a few days ago. “I was out this morning from about 9:30 a.m. to about noon,” Ahern, who along with his wife, Susan, started the terrapin rescue years ago, said Monday. “I did the length of the island and down Sea Isle Boulevard. There was one turtle killed on the boulevard.” Ahern noted that the mesh turtle fencing installed by the county in 2019 along Sea Isle Boulevard is working well. “The county also did a good job with signs on Landis Avenue in the northern part of town,” he added. Ahern cautioned however, that new paving along Central Avenue looks wonderful but it may make the dark-colored turtles harder to see, so motorists should be particularly conscious of that when driving along that area. Mesh fencing underneath the guardrail saves terrapins from being crushed by traffic on Sea Isle Boulevard. The journey the terrapins make to find sandy soil to lay their eggs can be treacherous. While diamondback terrapins can live up to 30 to 40 years, traffic, roadwork and the fishing industry pose dangers to their survival. Only one egg in a thousand grows up to be an adult turtle. Devin Griffiths, marketing specialist for the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, explained that terrapins are not an endangered species, but they are a species of special concern because of their contact with people during nesting season. Turtles are up against traffic during the tourist season, roadwork, the fishing industry and predators. “Unfortunately, the terrapin nesting season also coincides with the busy tourist season and the season is May to August. It really picks up at the shore during that time. People need to watch on the roadways, especially entering the barrier islands,” Griffiths said. The Aherns and Griffiths caution people regularly to leave the terrapins alone, unless they appear in distress. If on the road, only move them if it can be done safely. And if so, they should always be placed in the direction they are going. Susan and Steve Ahern work year-round on their mission to rescue and preserve terrapins, including building sandy nesting boxes behind the Sea Isle Library. Griffiths said this about the Aherns and all of the work they do to protect the turtles, “They are terrapin rescue volunteer royalty. They are the best. We are just thrilled that there are so many people who do the road patrols to watch out for these terrapins.” Along with patrolling and making sure turtles are safely finding their nesting grounds -- whether on yards in town, other sandy soil or safely out of the way of traffic -- the Aherns also work with volunteers to build nesting boxes behind the Sea Isle Library at 4800 Central Avenue. They build the boxes around March or April and they are ready to go each year for the female terrapins to enter and lay their eggs. “It is going well. When I go to the boxes, there are turtles in there right now. There are at least 20 nests in one of the boxes. It will be very full,” Ahern said. In October, the Aherns and volunteers uncover the hatchlings to deliver them to the marsh. Sea Isle City Girl Scout Troop 41012 gave a helping hand this season. “This year, the Girl Scouts helped make 25 nest cages with the help of their parents that we needed for the season, in case anyone wants to cover a nest that they see being made,” Ahern said. “It was really great of them to help us out.” If people find an injured terrapin, they should call the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor at (609) 368-1211. Motorists should heed turtle crossing signs like this one along Landis Avenue heading into Strathmere.