Lachlan and I went out to the lifeguard beach last night about 7:30. We had heard that the National Park Service was releasing another 27 loggerhead turtles at 8 o'clock. They had excavated a nest a few days ago, and were ready to let the youngsters go. The Park Rangers did a great job of explaining what was happening...and arranging the crowd behind a rope so everyone could see. It is great fun to watch these tiny critters waddle off toward the surf. Flashlights and camera flashes were forbidden since the turtles naturally head for the brightest and lightest areas. In the absence of artificial light the white water of the crashing waves serves as their beacon. There were a few confused young-uns who had to be turned around now and then, but most of them made a bee-line toward the surf and disappeared from view to the cheers and encouragement of the folks in the crowd.
If I get any decent photos I will share them in another post.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of midwifery on Ocracoke Island. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news082112.htm.
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Very cool. I like the fact that the crowd cheered. I was fortunate to witness it up close and personal back in the late 70's on the beach near the Sebastian Inlet in FL.
ReplyDeleteWish I could have been there.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great experience for a young grandson to share with Opa--and it didn't cost a thing.
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