 | Meet at 6:00am to pickup truck and start patrol at 6:15am |
| Isn't this pretty - nice sunrise and look at those waves |
| Jump out of truck, run up and check a nest for an emergence
(did I mention you drive the tide line and the nests are at dune
line....we can all use more exercise) |
| Jump out of truck and raise approach flag |
| Look - fresh tracks, this is what it is all about, time to
check out Lady Turtle (oh....they only come out at
night...) Down to business...is it a nest or false
crawl...can't tell? Time to start digging using only your
hands. One hour, 3 feet deep and a crater the size of a vehicle
later, we find the eggs. (Actually this only happened once -
we had to find the eggs to relocate nest since this one was laid
on the tide line and would wash away) Okay, relocate nest,
stake that bad
boy out, take lots of measurements and paperwork, paperwork,
paperwork....did I mention there was a lot of paperwork to fill
out? |
| Do a little turtle PR work since this always draws a crowd -
it is also very enjoyable to help field all the questions |
| Back on patrol - hey, is it starting to rain? Is that
thunder I hear? Check out that lightening bolt! |
| Jump out of truck, run up and check a nest for an emergence -
put on raingear if necessary. Repeat this step for 30+
times during your 12 mile patrol |
| Jump out of truck and raise approach flag - repeat twice more |
| Time to get off beach and pick up ATV for final few miles of
patrol. Can you say stuck? Get out, dig out truck
and bum a tow from Beach Patrol |
| Once again on patrol w/ATV, on the plus side the rain has
stopped and sun is shining and weather is muggy, muggy, muggy. |
| Watch out for that sandcastle, go around the fishermen, log
that night heron (more paperwork) |
| More tracks/new nest, more sledgehammer practice, more
paperwork (we currently have 182 nests on our run, so this is a
very familiar activity now) |
| Turn around head home |
| Time to clean a nest (3 days after they hatch we excavate the
nest and log statistics...you are right - more paperwork).
Pull the stakes and start digging....3 dead turtles, 6 unhatched
eggs, numerous broken/eaten eggs - it sure is gnarly down here
and the smell....look there, it's moving...it's a BABY
TURTLE!!! And look over there, that egg is moving... oh
boy, we get to see this one hatch!!! Call everyone around
so they can join in - and get a firsthand lesson on endangered
species. This is what makes all the sore muscles and early
mornings fade into a distant memory - watching these little guys
make that long journey to the sea. Finish counting
hatched eggs (120+) log stats. |
| Back on the ATV and finish patrol with a big smile on your
face. |
| 10:15am and patrol is done |
| Wash ATV, gas up |
| Wash truck, sweep out |
| Finish paperwork, get paperwork ready for next day of patrol. |
| Head home with a very, very happy heart |
