ASH
Beach Fanatic
My story of what happened last night as I reported it to the state:
Sharon called me to check out a possible harassment of a turtle at Gulf View Heights. I arrived around 9:15 and started walking West. About 200 yards into the walk I came across the tracks of a false crawl and I put flags near the surf. I continued West encountering several groups on the beach and alerted them that there may be a sea turtle coming ashore and what to do if they saw her. No pictures, no flashlights and stay back about 20 yards and give her space. They were all excited about the possibility.
Went all the way to Ed Walline where a large wedding party was set up. Turned around and headed back. Got all the way back to where I started and bumped into a couple from Atlanta sitting at the waters edge at the public landing. I told them about the turtle and we discussed all things turtle for a couple minutes.
I said I was going to walk as far as The Retreat hoping the turtle would come back ashore. They asked that if I saw the turtle to let them know.
I got not more than maybe 150 yards East and there was another set of tracks coming in. This was at about 10:15PM. I followed them up the beach about three steps and I could see the turtles form. She was nesting.
I darted back to the couple from Atlanta and told them this may be the luckiest night of their lives. We discussed staying back a distance, no photos and whispers only. They were just giddy at the thought of seeing a turtle. I took them up the beach to within maybe 25 feet of the turtle and we watched her. She appeared to already be done digging the chamber and was bobbing up and down, perhaps carefully dropping eggs. The couple wanted me to put a light on her, but I suggested that it may spook her and this would be the last thing we?d want to do right then.
After about 10 minutes I saw her back flippers start moving, I turned on the red light to see that she was already covering the eggs up. I was so hoping to actually see her in her trance dropping them, but I think that is what was happening last paragraph and I didn?t pick up on it. A few minutes later she began flinging sand around. I had been explaining all along, to the best I knew, what I thought she was doing.
Then suddenly she took a left turn and was nearly facing us. She began her trek back to the water, dragging her tired ole head just like we were told she would. She looked so tired. The lady nearly cried and said she just wanted to hug the turtle.
We stayed with her about 10 feet away while she drug herself back to the surf. She hesitated a couple times, picking her head up high as if she was looking right at us, her eyes wet with salt and sand.
Then she headed down the wet sand line. I had shoes on and gave my flashlight to the couple to follow her into the surf until she could swim.
She re-entered the water at 10:41 PM
The lady came up, gave me my flashlight back and hugged me. The man nearly did and crushed my fingers in a handshake instead. It was an emotional moment. Quiet. They headed back to their chairs while I went to mark the nest with flags and then left.
I wrote this short story as soon as I got home so that the emotions were still fresh and the feelings still strong about the whole incident. It was beautiful. I am a very lucky man tonight. Thank you South Walton Turtle Watch for allowing me to be a part of this experience.
Sharon called me to check out a possible harassment of a turtle at Gulf View Heights. I arrived around 9:15 and started walking West. About 200 yards into the walk I came across the tracks of a false crawl and I put flags near the surf. I continued West encountering several groups on the beach and alerted them that there may be a sea turtle coming ashore and what to do if they saw her. No pictures, no flashlights and stay back about 20 yards and give her space. They were all excited about the possibility.
Went all the way to Ed Walline where a large wedding party was set up. Turned around and headed back. Got all the way back to where I started and bumped into a couple from Atlanta sitting at the waters edge at the public landing. I told them about the turtle and we discussed all things turtle for a couple minutes.
I said I was going to walk as far as The Retreat hoping the turtle would come back ashore. They asked that if I saw the turtle to let them know.
I got not more than maybe 150 yards East and there was another set of tracks coming in. This was at about 10:15PM. I followed them up the beach about three steps and I could see the turtles form. She was nesting.
I darted back to the couple from Atlanta and told them this may be the luckiest night of their lives. We discussed staying back a distance, no photos and whispers only. They were just giddy at the thought of seeing a turtle. I took them up the beach to within maybe 25 feet of the turtle and we watched her. She appeared to already be done digging the chamber and was bobbing up and down, perhaps carefully dropping eggs. The couple wanted me to put a light on her, but I suggested that it may spook her and this would be the last thing we?d want to do right then.
After about 10 minutes I saw her back flippers start moving, I turned on the red light to see that she was already covering the eggs up. I was so hoping to actually see her in her trance dropping them, but I think that is what was happening last paragraph and I didn?t pick up on it. A few minutes later she began flinging sand around. I had been explaining all along, to the best I knew, what I thought she was doing.
Then suddenly she took a left turn and was nearly facing us. She began her trek back to the water, dragging her tired ole head just like we were told she would. She looked so tired. The lady nearly cried and said she just wanted to hug the turtle.
We stayed with her about 10 feet away while she drug herself back to the surf. She hesitated a couple times, picking her head up high as if she was looking right at us, her eyes wet with salt and sand.
Then she headed down the wet sand line. I had shoes on and gave my flashlight to the couple to follow her into the surf until she could swim.
She re-entered the water at 10:41 PM
The lady came up, gave me my flashlight back and hugged me. The man nearly did and crushed my fingers in a handshake instead. It was an emotional moment. Quiet. They headed back to their chairs while I went to mark the nest with flags and then left.
I wrote this short story as soon as I got home so that the emotions were still fresh and the feelings still strong about the whole incident. It was beautiful. I am a very lucky man tonight. Thank you South Walton Turtle Watch for allowing me to be a part of this experience.
