COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



When Whales Walked 



Whales have been 

 around for millions of 

 years, but they haven't 

 always called the ocean 

 home. When dinosaurs lived 

 on Earth, whales walked on 

 land. They had four legs and 

 probably walked like alligators. 



We know whales walked because they 

 still have leg bones in their bodies. And the bones in 

 their flippers match the bones in a human arm and hand. 



Over thousands of years, whales' back legs disappeared. Their front 

 legs changed to flippers, and these giant mammals took a dive to a more 

 watery environment. 



Sea Turtle Strandings Down 



Jea turtle 

 strandings 

 along the North 

 Carolina coast 

 were down 25 

 percent in 1997 

 compared to 

 the previous 

 year, but 

 preliminary 

 data suggest 

 that nesting was 

 low, according 

 to Ruth 



Boettcher, N.C. 

 Sea Turtle 

 Project coordi- 

 nator. Through 

 mid-November, 

 353 strandings were reported; 471 

 turtles stranded during the same 

 period in 1996. 



Most strandings occurred in Dare 

 (113) and Carteret (110) counties, 

 probably because they have the longest 

 shorelines, Boettcher says. Brunswick 

 County had 52 strandings. Most of the 

 stranded turtles were loggerheads, 



which find the 

 North Carolina 

 shore attractive 

 for nesting. 



Preliminary 

 nesting data for 

 1 997 showed 

 560 nests for 

 the year, which 

 is on the low 

 end of the 

 normal range, 

 according to 

 Boettcher. 



"Because 

 of cooler 

 temperatures in 

 May and June, 

 the nesting 

 season was slow to start. It picked up 

 at the end ofjune and in July," 

 Boettcher says. "The early-laid nests 

 will probably have lower success 

 because, for one thing, the incubation 

 periods were longer than normal." 



She anticipates that data will 

 show the hatch rates improved forjuly 

 and August. □ 



The North Carolina State Museum of 

 Natural Sciences will have four whale 

 skeletons on display when it opens its 

 new location in September 1999. 

 Visitors will be able to see the 

 skeletons of the True's 

 beaked whale, 

 fin whale, 

 sperm 

 whale 

 and 

 right 

 whale. □ 



Seafood 

 Availability Chart 



You're standing in the supermar- 

 ket, staring at the seafood counter and 

 wondering what's the best catch for 

 dinner. You'd like something fresh off 

 the boat, but you don't have a clue 

 what's in season. 



Wonder no more. North Carolina 

 Sea Grant has a seafood availability 

 chart that graphically depicts the 

 seasonality of 24 species of fish and 

 shellfish commonly harvested in Tar 

 Heel waters. Learn that soft crabs are 

 most abundant in May, flounder in 

 October and shrimp in July and August. 

 The 1 1- by 34-inch poster will help you 

 make the best decisions about bringing 

 home the freshest catch. For ordering 

 information, call North Carolina Sea 

 Grant at 919/515-2454. □ 



COASTWATCH 3 



