First Nest Excavation

My first nest, found June 12 near 53rd Street in Holmes Beach, was scheduled to hatch August 6, so Mr. Masferrer and I sat by the nest the entire week ... Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... Friday night we stayed past midnight. Still--nothing. So after I walked Saturday, August 7, and there STILL were NO signs of hatching, we decided to see a movie for a change. That's when they HATCHED!

They hatched Saturday night around 11 p.m. Several AMI Turtle Watch volunteers, including my coordinators Pete and Emily, made it to the big show. One head popped up, then two, then they came boiling out of the nest.

Sadly, they all headed south--toward lights on Bradenton Beach. The city has even raised the wattage in their street bulbs, causing more disorientations this year than ever before. Between street lights and beach dwellers who forget (or refuse) to turn out their lights, we've lost more than 400 babies. By the first week of August, 11 out of 18 nests on the island had hatchlings traveling in a direction other than the water. Luckily for my little ones, the volunteers were there to redirect them toward the water.

We waited three days to make sure all the hatchlings that could had made it out of the nest. Then, we excavate. We pull up the protective stakes--They let me keep one from my first nest.

Then it was time to dig.

As I knelt down to excavate my first nest, I was so afraid of not knowing if I was "doing it right," tearing up the shells, or finding babies that didn't make it. Fear turned to amazement when I saw how the nest was perfectly formed. I didn't have to worry about where to dig.

Momma turtle packed the sand so tightly it was like concrete. The soft sand in the middle told me exactly where I would find the shells or any turtles that didn't make it out. As I found the shells and unfertilized eggs, Emily carefully counted them in groups of ten.







I kept digging until I again hit packed sand.



Luckily, all 67 eggs hatched, with 8 that were never fertilized.

One of the best experiences of being a part of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch is every walker I've met really wants others, especially children, to know how everyone can help to save the sea turtles. When they meet people who ask what they're doing, they immediately hand them our cards and temporary tattoos for the little ones (paid for by sea turtle tags) and start sharing what we know. Just admit it, we all know they're cool! :D

Here is Glen, a retired teacher (I'm very envious), doing just that with Pete looking on:

And his latest pupils:

Especially today, people are asking: "How can we make our world better? How are we going to solve all our problems?"

Once again, education is the answer!

Tears of Joy!

I can't believe I held a baby turtle! As I tell people about turtles, I always talk about "hatchlings," but today, they are "baby turtles." Words can't describe the feeling, so I'm just going to post these first...

The last time I can remember being so overwhelmed by the beauty in this world was holding my friend's first-born, Jackson. If you have never stopped to look around you at every miracle happening in our world, please stop and consider: consider the gifts we are given every day; the gifts that are right before our eyes. Trust me, when you take time to think about how and why things happen--or don't happen--you appreciate everything, and everyone, around you so much more. Even better than my reaction was the reaction of the children surrounding the nest as we excavated. Some didn't realize what they were seeing was rare, while others did. I just love these pictures:




















Do you think they're close enough? :D

That night, a crowd gathered as we released them into the water. We walkers were crowd control to make sure no one stepped on a baby (especially me!) or interfered with their trek down the beach and into the gulf. There aren't many pictures because even the camera "red eye" can disorient the hatchlings.

Suzi, our director, always educating.

Waiting for darkness, the best cover.

The crowd gives the babies room to crawl.

Mr. Masferrer captures a turtle, sans flash.

For everyone who came to see, I hope this is a day they never forget.

I know I won't!