HATTERAS, N.C. (WNCN) -- Just as winter approaches, the final sea turtles of the season are emerging from their nests at the Outer Banks along the North Carolina coast. There are still four sea turtle nests incubating out of more than 300 that were created this year at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, officials said Friday. This season more than 19,200 eggs successfully hatched at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, according to the National Park Service. This year marked the sixth-highest number of nests laid, reflecting an average season overall, a news release from the park service said. Mountain lion rescued from tree outside home "It’s common for nesting numbers to fluctuate from year to year, but since data collection began, the trend at Cape Hatteras has generally been moving upward," officials said in the news release. The most nests were laid in 2019 at 473 while there were just 44 when records started being collected in 2004, officials said. During the last four years, nest numbers were above 300 per year. "Looking ahead, we might see even more nests next season, as sea turtles typically nest every 2 to years," the release said. Sea turtle nests over the last 20 years at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Graphic courtesy: Cape Hatteras National Seashore