Turtles
We got the call. " their comin' hurry !" I threw on my ratty old sandals and my bright green shirt, and headed to the beach. It was a little after 10 when i got there and began to check the trench. I grabbed my red lens flashlight and started to hunt for the enemy, the ghost crab! The tourist were everywhere but their numbers dwindled as quickly as their patience. However one little family a dad and his daughters hung in there and the girls went on the hunt with me. We filled in holes and did away with and crustacean trespassers.
IT'S STARTING! We all huddled around the nest flashlights just past the dark little things coming out of the sand. At first there were 2 and you just saw a head here and flippers over there. Suddenly, there were 30 or more wiggling and fighting, and flopping all over each other. It seemed that these tiny turtles heard a call from the ocean. At once they turned and headed as quickly as their flippers would carry them to the water. Which is faster than one would think. We took our places to count and walk them to the water to protect them. This Little band of what turned out to be 53 turtles marched like little soldiers with packs on their backs toward the waves. They would move in little formations of 3 to 8 and follow each other in a straight line to the water.
Each group was led by a human captain who led his or her group with their red lens flashlight cheering them on as the they went. This is to avoid any stragglers getting lost and heading in the wrong direction toward the street lights. Some of the lone travelers did get turned around but were helped along by the watchful volunteers. Once these three inch travelers made it to the water their little flippers moved them in just a few second the same distance it took them half an hour to maneuver on land. 81 babies made it to the water that night.
A few days later we went to dig up the nest. This process can be very sad because you often find dead turtles or killed turtles in the nest, but it must be done to get accurate records. This nest was a wonderful experience. I was one of two diggers. We dug out the contents of the nest whose bottom is about 18 inches down. About half way down i found a head little turtle looking at me. I carefully lifted underneath him, and thankfully a whole healthy turtle was there. The volunteers grabbed a bucket and some sand to put him and anyone else in so that they could be released together. we found 3 other babies They are amazing not only was each turtle colored a little different but each was shaped a little different too. we both got two turtles to hold with our gloved hands and carry near the surf. It is important that they spend some time on the sand so they know where to come back to when they get to be adults and are ready to lay eggs. So we stopped about half way to the beach and let them take the rest of the trip their selves on the sand. I have to tell you about holding a baby sea turtle. They weigh next to nothing kind of like a bird or a newly hatched chicken. They are very strong after fighting their way out of the leathery egg and through all that sand. Their flippers seem to be holding on to your hand like they are hugging your hand. They don't wrap completely around your hand. The entire turtle fit in the palm of my hand. Their flippers are much more pliable and flexible than i thought they would be. They can move even the tips of them.
My words do not even come close to doing justice to this amazing experience. It is hard to believe that these beautiful little animals grow to be giants weighing more than the average human. I hope you have the opportunity to see this one day and be a part of it. I hope GOD reveals more of HIS amazing creations to us and gives us the opportunity to be in awe of HIM and HIS creativity, provision, and love for us.
We got the call. " their comin' hurry !" I threw on my ratty old sandals and my bright green shirt, and headed to the beach. It was a little after 10 when i got there and began to check the trench. I grabbed my red lens flashlight and started to hunt for the enemy, the ghost crab! The tourist were everywhere but their numbers dwindled as quickly as their patience. However one little family a dad and his daughters hung in there and the girls went on the hunt with me. We filled in holes and did away with and crustacean trespassers.
IT'S STARTING! We all huddled around the nest flashlights just past the dark little things coming out of the sand. At first there were 2 and you just saw a head here and flippers over there. Suddenly, there were 30 or more wiggling and fighting, and flopping all over each other. It seemed that these tiny turtles heard a call from the ocean. At once they turned and headed as quickly as their flippers would carry them to the water. Which is faster than one would think. We took our places to count and walk them to the water to protect them. This Little band of what turned out to be 53 turtles marched like little soldiers with packs on their backs toward the waves. They would move in little formations of 3 to 8 and follow each other in a straight line to the water.
Each group was led by a human captain who led his or her group with their red lens flashlight cheering them on as the they went. This is to avoid any stragglers getting lost and heading in the wrong direction toward the street lights. Some of the lone travelers did get turned around but were helped along by the watchful volunteers. Once these three inch travelers made it to the water their little flippers moved them in just a few second the same distance it took them half an hour to maneuver on land. 81 babies made it to the water that night.
A few days later we went to dig up the nest. This process can be very sad because you often find dead turtles or killed turtles in the nest, but it must be done to get accurate records. This nest was a wonderful experience. I was one of two diggers. We dug out the contents of the nest whose bottom is about 18 inches down. About half way down i found a head little turtle looking at me. I carefully lifted underneath him, and thankfully a whole healthy turtle was there. The volunteers grabbed a bucket and some sand to put him and anyone else in so that they could be released together. we found 3 other babies They are amazing not only was each turtle colored a little different but each was shaped a little different too. we both got two turtles to hold with our gloved hands and carry near the surf. It is important that they spend some time on the sand so they know where to come back to when they get to be adults and are ready to lay eggs. So we stopped about half way to the beach and let them take the rest of the trip their selves on the sand. I have to tell you about holding a baby sea turtle. They weigh next to nothing kind of like a bird or a newly hatched chicken. They are very strong after fighting their way out of the leathery egg and through all that sand. Their flippers seem to be holding on to your hand like they are hugging your hand. They don't wrap completely around your hand. The entire turtle fit in the palm of my hand. Their flippers are much more pliable and flexible than i thought they would be. They can move even the tips of them.
My words do not even come close to doing justice to this amazing experience. It is hard to believe that these beautiful little animals grow to be giants weighing more than the average human. I hope you have the opportunity to see this one day and be a part of it. I hope GOD reveals more of HIS amazing creations to us and gives us the opportunity to be in awe of HIM and HIS creativity, provision, and love for us.
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