Turtle Swimming Lessons!

Six more little loggerheads went for a long swim this morning.



This nest full of brothers and sisters hatched this weekend, but the stragglers are still not all ready - the last two will head for the sea tonight.



I can understand why they may pause after being washed by their first wave.



You can see where this little one was sitting still in the sand when a wave washed him a few minutes earlier -- it's like a turtle snow angel in the sand!



These two seem to be having a chat, strategizing their route through the wild ocean.



Can you imagine their journey, from hole in the ground to open sandy beach to gulf surf in just an hour's time? That's one rough first step!



I wonder if he's picked his head up to smell the salty air, to see the Gulf, or to practice his breathing technique -- they have to pick up their heads for air once they start swimming.



Plus, they will have to swim for 20 to 35 years before reaching maturity and taking another walk on land (if they're female). That's quite a commitment!



I would rest for a minute before that swim too!

Hatchling Bite!

I took photos last night at a hatching nest. Since we only use red lights around hatchlings at night, the pics are not the best. Maybe I'll buy an infrared camera soon...



We screen all of our nests from dusk to dawn around the time we start hearing hatchlings scratching their way to the top. The screens help keep the hatchlings from scattering in the dunes, and usually prevent ghost crabs, night herons and other predators from snatching the young.



Having the screens makes it easy to see when, and to what direction, hatchlings may be disorienting as well...



A lot of hatchlings last night were unable to get out of the egg chamber, which is a little odd. The walls were steep, and it was very deep. What happened to all the sand that should have been over the nest? Sometimes, these things happen, but it makes the hatchlings sitting ducks for predators if we are not there to help.



The turtles had other problems last night as well. Three ghost crabs dug at angles under the screens, straight into the egg chamber. One tiny hatchling was hanging out about a foot west of the screen, though there was no tiny turtle crawl, just a ghost crab track with a drag in the middle.

The hatchling was on his/her back, actively fighting a ghost crab. I bent down to pick him/her up, and carried it to the gulf. As soon as I had it in my hands, the tiny loggerhead (Caretta caretta) bit me! It just felt like a little tickle on my fingertip, but still, I was shocked! I've been helping hatchlings find their way to the sea for many, many years, and this was a first...

I was pretty happy with the little dude though -- that bite told me the turtle had a fighting spirit. Once near the Gulf of Mexico, the turtle booked for the sea, escaping the ghost crabs and green and gray clad humans that scared him so much on the beach.

A few hours later, 45 more hatchlings joined the fray, and needed an escort from the relocated nest to the Gulf shore. This particular nest was north of the road, so they really did need a boost.



I'd forgotten the cooler back in the POD, and all I had was my gear bag -- a reusable Publix grocery bag. I wonder if they'd be willing to sponsor our turtle project -- that's pretty good PR from the little hathchlings! The hatchlings could self-release from the bag, which is bad if you leave it unattended near ghost crab holes, but good for a more natural nesting experience for the critters.



They crawled out in ones and twos and headed for the Gulf. All were safe and sound (I hope), swimming in the warm sea half an hour later. Hope to see them back in 25 years or so!

VIPs (That's Volunteers in Parks)

Every now and then, I do take photos of people, or they take them of me. With so many busy volunteers this time of year, it's inevitable. We couldn't do half the things we do for the turtles without them.



A nice group at the local EPA office are very interested in nest sitting for some of the 40 nests due to hatch. With about 40,000 tiny turtles expected in the next two months, we'll need all the help we can get. It will be hard to keep them all safe from sea gulls, raccoons, ghost crabs and other predators with just our small NPS staff.



I think we have a good group here -- these busy scientists were willing to give up their lunch hour just to learn about nest sitting. I hope to see many of them on the beaches soon!



Of course, we couldn't get anything accomplished without the help of our team of 20 volunteers who complete daily surveys of all of our Gulf front beach, searching for new nests and tiny turtle tracks. Their hours of hard work and unwavering dedication are just amazing!



Our tiny turtles thank them...



one and all...