Turtlesinger, Inc.


is a Federal 501(c)3 Public Charity - New Jersey Charities Registration # CH2998200
Mission Statement: To educate and entertain the public about turtles with original songs and/or live turtles.



February 8, 2023



Chapter One: A Turtle Sanctuary is Born!



We hoped the terrapins would use this new sand pile to lay their eggs, then use our turtle ramp to return to the water. The goal was to offer the terrapins a way to nest without having to cross busy Stone Harbor Boulevard, where so many terrapins are killed each year during nesting season. Garden State General Construction did a great job delivering and smoothing out the sand exactly where we wanted it! To see our sand pile with a different kind of turtle near it, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



Patience is a Plus



You can see in the background of this photo a shiny black fence by the road. Unfortunately, the fact that this fence was erected and that South Jersey Gas was doing construction along Stone Harbor Boulevard all summer meant that for the first time in 34 years of living here, I didn’t see a single diamondback terrapin on our property during the 2021 nesting season!


For a closer look at the different kind of turtle in this photograph, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



A Different Kind of Turtle



Turtles are very sensitive to vibration, and we think substantial vibration from the construction kept our usual terrapins away. So, the only turtle we saw in 2021 on our new terrapin sanctuary was Gracie, our Turtlesinger travancore tortoise, who graciously posed for this picture so we could at least see one terrapin-sized turtle on the new sandpile.


So, then: we waited for over a year. For Chapter Two, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



Chapter Two: If You Build It, They Will Come



On June 7, 2022, we discovered our first diamondback terrapin nesting in our new turtle sanctuary!


Note how she chose to lay her eggs above the flood tide line.


We were beyond excited after waiting so long for our sand pile to be utilized!!!


For more turtles arriving, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



The Turtles Are Coming!



Then two days later on June 9th, we were able to record 2 terrapins at the same time but in different stages of nesting! The terrapin on the right had already laid her eggs and was covering the nest before leaving, while the terrapin on the left had not yet laid her eggs and was still digging the nest.


To watch another terrapin’s almost complete nesting process (speeded way up), SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



Covering Her Nest



We’ve speeded up from about 11 minutes to just under 3 minutes yet another terrapin’s process of covering her eggs after laying so you can witness how she fills in the nest cavity.


Filming wild terrapins from behind means they will be less likely to be disturbed by our presence. We know when a terrapin is covering her nest because it looks like she does a little jig!


To watch one of the terrapins exit our property using our turtle ramp, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



Exit Ramp



Although healthy turtles raise their shells off the ground when they walk, you may notice when this terrapin reaches the mud that she sort of slides along.


This is helpful to her because she’s tired after the egg-laying process!


Our turtle ramp is located approximately 75 feet from our sand pile/nesting area.


For a different perspective of another turtle ramp exit, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



There She Goes



Turn up the volume and you will hear birds as well as all the summer traffic on nearby Stone Harbor Boulevard.


We love it when the turtles use our turtle ramp! This terrapin was filmed by Charlie (The Turtletoter) from our dock.


For another, different speeded-up terrapin nesting, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



Soft Sand



We recorded a little over 14 minutes of this terrapin nesting, reducing it to 3 1/2 minutes. She is actually laying the eggs when her body/shell becomes still. This terrapin does an excellent job camouflaging her nest!


It was easier--and faster--for “our” terrapins to lay their eggs using the soft sand we provided versus the dirt, shells, vegetation, rocks, and other materials they often have to use.


For a look at what other terrapins have to contend with on our road, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



Killer Crossing



You can turn up your volume: Here’s a terrapin laying eggs near our house right next to the road. She chose the highest point to lay her eggs so that the nest wouldn’t flood in our low-lying area. Our new sand pile provides higher ground to lay eggs.

Turtles face this traffic trying to cross our road. The speed limit has been reduced to 35 mph (from 50 mph). But turtles are routinely killed by cars each year. 12 cars go by in 38 seconds of this video--this could be 1,000+ cars per hour!

To see how many nests we covered to date, SCROLL DOWN…



February 8, 2023



The Wait Begins Again



Here are six nests we covered in our new turtle sanctuary.


We ended up covering 11 nests in total. The eggs/nests were laid on June 7th, two nests on the 9th, 12th, two more nests on the 13th, 15th & 29th, and 3 more on July 4, 6 and 27th.


And then we waited 72 days…


Thanks as always for reading, and tune in to our next blog for Chapter Three!





Contact Us:



turtlesinger@hotmail.com | Phone: (609) 205-9248