Some will not. Doing so would better trap sand, build dunes and give turtles landward access. Instead, they put fencing parallel to the base of the ragged dune line. Ironically, this stops turtles but not wind-borne sand. The situation is not so dire on Holden Beach, where a storm birthed a new dune at the west end and deposited additional sand along the island.
Sunset Beach continues to gain sand, as does uninhabited Bird Island to the west of it.
Long odds A healthy turtle may produce 500 to 600 eggs a season, according to Andy Wood. But the odds of a hatchling reaching reproduction age is about 1 in 1,000. Turtles need help in some locations because humans have changed the rules of the game. Lights along the beach disorient hatchlings, causing them to head inland instead of going out to sea. Vehicles on the beaches leave tracks that trap hatchlings.