September 2024

Splashing their way into the hearts of staff and volunteers, two loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings soon will make their debut in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Conservation habitat at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF). The 2024 hatchlings came from a nest that hatched July 19 on Carolina Beach. Following a nest excavation 72 hours later by Aquarium team members and sea turtle volunteers, NCAFF welcomed the hatchlings.


Every year the Aquarium team is honored to take in and share the story of two loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings who did not make the initial trek to the ocean. These two-to-three-inch hatchlings, weighing about 50 grams (approximately 2 ounces) each, can create a powerful connection. 

For the NCAFF, sharing these tiny ambassadors with visitors amplifies the mission to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments. 


Aleta and Pico, beloved juvenile loggerheads, came to NCAFF as hatchlings in fall 2023. Once the veterinary team gives them a clean bill of health and attaches a PIT tag to each one, the team will bid them farewell. As with Aleta and Pico, our staff and volunteers share their ideas for names that have significance to the species or their habitat and finally, school children vote on their favorites.

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