Hot summer trends: On turtle time

By Kristin Ely

Custom merchandise gives customers a special way to remember their trip.


Summer is in full swing at The Bald Head Island Conservancy and its gift shop, Turtle Central. This leading organization in barrier island conservation located between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, is celebrating 40 years of operations in 2023.


On June 16, BHIC celebrated World Sea Turtle Day with a big celebration that included visitors lining up for to get glittery strands called mermaid hair in their hair, and to have their pictures taken with an employee dressed up in a sea turtle costume. The festivities also featured an appearance by the mayor, and some hands-on educational opportunities for the kids.


For 40 years, BHIC’s vision has been to live in harmony with nature and foster barrier island conservation, education and preservation. What started as a few locals looking to preserve a beautiful island environment and protect its nesting sea turtles has become an organization dedicated to protecting marine life, conducting impactful scientific research and providing environmental education to the island community and beyond.


And in 2023, the gift shop expanded its footprint with a Hatchling Hut right as guests and locals get off the ferry to the island.



Expanding horizons

“We started working last year on getting a presence on the harbor because we are so far down the island that a lot of people come over and they don’t know anything about us,” says Pam Smith, retail manager. “So we came up with a proposal and went to a real estate company that has a large deck and a big presence as you step off the boat and asked them about having a space on their porch.”


“We ended up doing a build-out under their porch that turned out really nice.” The new building is called the Hatchling Hut and it carries sea turtle merchandise, and commemorative merchandise featuring the 40th anniversary logo on it.


Products featuring designs celebrating BHI’s 40th anniversary are popular at Turtle Central this season.
Photos: Aaron Lockwood

The Hatchling Hut also gives out stickers with a QR code that takes users to the BHIC website where they can sign up for programs, the annual Turtle Trot Race and learn about the wildlife on Bald Head Island. The Hatching Hut opened on Memorial Day and an official ribbon cutting was held June 21.


The Turtle Central gift shop at the conservancy also carries the 40th anniversary merchandise, but that’s not all the customers go for, according to Smith. From its humble beginnings in 1983 selling T-shirts and turtle statues, the store is now a fully stocked gift shop with multiple categories that allows just about any visitor to find something to take home from their visit.



More than turtles

Plush toys are always a big hit, particularly brands that are sustainable and are made from recycled water bottles, Smith says. The store also carries plush from Marinelife Rescue Project, which supports animal rescue and allows purchasers to create their own story of rescue, rehab and release with their own plush patients.


Kids also go for the wide selection of toys, plush and books, including those by Usborne and Peter Pauper Press. They also like Madd Capp puzzles that feature large turtles or sharks.


For visitors young and old, “Name-drop T-shirts, hats and sweatshirts are still our mainstays,” she says. Turtle Central added custom-designed sweaters and tumblers from Town Pride this year, and Smith says the tumblers sold out “They did all these really cool graphics on a map on a tumbler that wrapped around and it turned out so nice.”


The tumblers featured a map of the island and little icons representing the island such as an alligator, a sea turtle swimming up to the beach, a deer in the maritime forest, a golf cart, a ferry and a lighthouse.


Other custom items the store carries include T-shirts with a golf cart on them and the phrase “riding dirty,” and one featuring a turtle heading out into the water with the moon shining over it saying “Lights out for sea turtles.”
Anything with a alligator, turtle, map or nautical chart sells. The store also has some humorous shirts showing sharks on bikes or labs in golf carts and some popular themes with a sea-life twist, including an American flag turtle and a tie-dye turtle.



40 years to celebrate

Smith says the store added more custom work this year for the 40th anniversary, including a turtle in a martini glass that says “Cheers to 40 years.”


“We are trying to think of all kinds of new things we can tie into our 40th anniversary,” says Smith.


Home goods is a strong category for Turtle Central gift shop.
Photo: Andrew Miller

For sea turtle enthusiasts, red flashlights are also an important buy. Smith explains that if a regular flashlight is used for watching turtles on the beach, the turtles will confuse it for moonlight and will head toward the flashlight instead of the ocean.


“It’s a big initiative to try to have all the beach-facing cottages turn their lights off at night, or they will head toward the dunes and not toward the ocean,” Smith adds. “Sea turtles dig the dark.”


Items for the home are a tried-and-true category. “We’ve always done well with home goods, like candles, custom dish towels,” says Smith. The store also carries hand-made and hand-painted pottery from local artisans that sell well.


“We are trying to think of all kinds of new things we can tie into our 40th anniversary.” — Pam Smith


Big name brands also fly off the shelves, such as Scout bags and Michelle McDowell Designs apparel.
Body sprays, lotions and facemasks do well in the health and beauty category as well as a brand Smith found in Seaside Retailer magazine, Salty Britches chafing lotion.


“One of our products that are selling really well are Goodr sunglasses. They are lightweight and I can’t keep them on the shelf,” she says.


True Ocean’s health and beauty products and Fahlo’s animal tracking bracelets are also big sellers at Turtle Central this season. Lifestyle products like Pura Vida bracelets and Sand Cloud towels are also available and are popular.



More milestones

In 2021, Turtle Central was awarded the Starfish Award for its charitable efforts from Seaside Retailer. That year, the store hit a milestone of reaching $1 million in sales, and in 2022, the store’s contribution to the BHIC jumped from 26% to 40%.


Smith says she’ proud that her contributions help BHI’s mission. “At Turtle Central and the BHI Conservancy, we are proud to celebrate 40 years on Turtle Time!”