By MADDY VITALE
Katie Desaulniers, 13, of Sea Isle City, carefully displayed what could only be described as cute diamondback terrapins just unearthed from a nesting box outside of the Sea Isle City library Saturday afternoon.
“Look at that one, he’s moving,” said one of the nearly 20 people meticulously sifting through the sands so not to harm the hatchlings at two nesting boxes at 4800 Central Avenue behind the library.
The boxes are designed to give the turtles a fighting chance at life, protected from predators so that they could eventually make it to the marsh.
Steve and Susan Ahern, who run the Sea Isle Terrapin Rescue, along with others dedicated to preserving diamondback terrapins summed up the day that began at 10 and went through the afternoon.
“We had a great day. There were 24 live hatchlings in each box for a total of 48,” Ahern said. “We also found evidence that about 600 more terrapins hatched and made their way out of the boxes.”
Last year 115 live hatchlings were discovered, and another 100 eggs hatched and got out to the marsh, he said.
Turtle nesting season is from May to July when females emerge from the marshlands to lay their eggs. It can take anywhere from eight to 14 weeks for the eggs to hatch. Since the terrapins typically nest in sandy soil, such as beaches and dunes, the sandy nesting boxes give turtles a safe place to lay their eggs.
Diamondback terrapins can live for 30 to 40 years, but with roadwork, construction, shore traffic and deaths related to the fishing industry, the prospect of longevity is always a concern, Ahern noted.
Only one egg in a thousand grows up to be an adult turtle.
So, for the volunteers doing the delicate work of located the turtles, it can be exciting, but also unnerving.
Ahern discovered at least six terrapins. They just kept coming out of the sands after he gently used a sifter to unearth them.
Although the group is unclear why there were so many more hatchlings this year, the Aherns had a good idea why.
The Aherns’ son, Michael, was the primary designer of a protective barrier in the nesting boxes against predators. He also supplies the materials for the boxes each year.
Sea Isle Terrapin Rescue, which is funded through the Sea Isle City Environmental Commission and receives permitting through the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, also supplies nesting cages from time to time to residents. They remove them after the eggs have hatched.
Annette Lombardo, head of the Environmental Commission, said as she kept a tally of the terrapins uncovered and eggs left behind from those that made their way out of the box to the marsh that she was so pleased there were many more this year.
“There are hundreds of shells and lots of hatchlings,” Lombardo noted. “The Aherns make this a 24/7 job. They do it all of the time.”
Volunteer Warren Weiler and his family volunteered their time to the rescue. He said this is the first, but not the last time, they have helped out.
“We love nature and we love turtles,” he said. “We want to do what we can to give back.”
For more information call Steve and Susan Ahern at (609) 263-7358.
