North Carolina's Coast Offers The Unforgettable Opportunity To See Sea Turtles Get A Second Chance

A sea turtle is one of those creatures that just about everybody loves — they're fascinating and absolutely adorable. A number of species are endangered, however, there are wonderful people out there doing rescue and rehabilitation work to save as many as they can. If you want to get up close and personal with some of these incredible animals, and you can't get to the Galápagos Islands to swim with turtles, there is a place closer to home that you can visit. A bit over an hour northeast of the Normal Rockwell-style town of Southport, North Carolina, and a mere 8 miles from the family-friendly Topsail Beach is The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center. 

The effort began several decades ago when the late Karen Beasley conceived the Topsail Turtle Project to help preserve sea turtle nests, the babies, and their mamas along Topsail Island. Her mother later took over after she passed, and the current center, which you can tour, opened in 2013. There, you'll learn all about the turtles, and get to see how they take care of them to be released back into their natural habitat.

One reviewer on TripAdvisor said of their visit, "You can tell the staff love what they do and care about their turtles. The tour was interesting and informative and I appreciate that the staff allows visitors inside. I would suggest purchasing tickets before going. The facility is bright, welcoming and clean with a nice gift shop. The highlight of the tour, of course, was the turtles! I especially enjoyed Snookie and her antics! I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area during visiting hours/season!"

Whether your North Carolina vacation takes you along the ultimate foodie road trip for barbecue or you're simply visiting beautiful Charlotte, you should make a point to visit The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center if you can. They've been taking in injured sea turtles since 1996, when they treated and released one named Lucky. Other turtles started coming in for treatment and, with donations, they started the organization. Their Topsail Turtle Project Nesting Program checks beaches every morning from May through August to help protect the babies from predators like ghost crabs as they make their way to the sea. The Sea Turtle Hospital mostly rescues and rehabilitates loggerheads, greens, and Kemp's ridleys, and at the time of this writing, there are turtles there with names like Lennie, Snookie (mentioned in the review above), and Dorado. 

A visit to this wonderful place costs under $10 a ticket with prices varying by the age of the visitor; however, there are a few things to know. First, this hospital has varying numbers of turtles depending on who they find and who needs help. You have to pick a time block when they're open and get your tickets online. (They do tend to sell out daily, so keep that in mind.) There are only 15 slots per 15-minute window, so if you don't see enough tickets, just pick another slot. The guided tour will teach you all about the turtles and the rescue efforts, and you can see the hospital and Turtle Bay where they go before release. You can also "adopt" a turtle with a donation, and depending on the amount, you get a picture of your new friend, info on them, and varying gifts like plushies.