ENGLEWOOD — Irony. Paradox. These words spring to mind when considering the hand dealt nesting sea turtles and their potential hatchlings in 2012.

In one respect, it was a banner year for sea turtle nesting, perhaps the best in 14 years. Nesting was so good, volunteers with Coastal Wildlife Club were optimistic they might be seeing signs of reversal in more than a decade of declining loggerhead nesting.