KURE BEACH — Interested in being on a first-name basis with a hatchling sea turtle? The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher invites the public to help choose the names for two baby loggerhead sea turtles in aquarium care.

The public can vote for their favorite name on the aquarium’s website ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher through Dec. 3. Aquarium staff selected five names for the public to choose from: Bubbles, Hatch, Noggin, Pearl and Scute. The two winning names will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

The aquarium began caring for the tiny loggerheads after the animals were excavated from two nests earlier this year in Kure Beach. Each summer the aquarium works in partnership with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and local sea turtle rescue organizations, accepting a limited number of hatchlings that are found in the nest three days after hatching, but do not make the initial trek to the sea.

The turtles receive daily care ensuring their growth and development. They serve as animal ambassadors helping visitors understand the threats faced by vulnerable sea turtles locally and globally.

“Giving these sea turtles a name allows our guests to more deeply connect with the animals and better understand how our actions impact them and other marine animals,” said Gail Lemiec, aquarium educator.

The loggerheads will remain in aquarium care for a little more than a year and will then be released into the Atlantic Ocean. Two yearling loggerheads, Castor and Carretta, who were named last year, will be released soon into the warm waters of the Gulf Stream current.

Turtle at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_NCAFF-LoggerheadHatchling-TurtleA-s.jpgTurtle at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher
N.C. Aquarium opens turtle-naming to public

From the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher