Incubation Times

Optimal nest incubation temperatures are generally around 83 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Although there are many factors that can go into determining the temperature of a nest (depth of the nest, type of sand, weather conditions, metabolic heating from growth of the embryos) a colder average nest temperature takes longer to incubate than a hotter nest.

This graph compares average nest temperature versus total incubation days for nests laid from 2019 - 2025 in the N.E.S.T. OBX area. As average nest temperature declines the number of incubation days increases.