They're Hatching!

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Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)

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Wish I could say I took this picture, but it was taken by an amazing photographer this morning on our beach. Best.turtle.baby.picture.EVER! He looks like he's ready to fly!

Carl
 

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Awwww they are beautiful.

Sorry I'm in the midwest, are they Loggerheads? Don't know my turtles, we have mostly snappers, ouchie.
 
Yes, Robin, those are loggerheads. We have over 100 nests so far. This nest hatched 3 nights ago. Today they inventoried the nest to see how many eggs hatched (eighty I think) and these two were still in the nest so they were helped out of the hole, and set free to go to the water. Usually one or two stragglers found when they do inventory, and it's just about the only time that the general public gets to see babies. There's a lady who comes every morning and takes tons of photos of their "first steps", and she shared a few with us. It's pretty amazing to see the whole process, and last year I even got to inventory a couple of nests myself. Those were two nests where I actually saw the momma laying her eggs, so they let me play surrogate dad and set the last couple of hatchlings loose. Sure I will get to do it sometime this summer again.

Carl
 
That is soooo cool.

I remember last year when you were watching the nests.

I was under the impression that they were on the endangered list but if you have 100 nests with 80 eggs maybe they are ok? Please say it is so. They are so beautiful.
 
They are still listed as "protected" and they are still on the Endangered Species list. I think it is more due to the fact that in many places, they aren't as watched over and protected as they would be here. In SC, there are only 8 miles of the coast that are owned by the State Parks. On private property, there's probably lots of nests that nobody even knows are there. But all up and down the coast, there are thousands of people who volunteer their time to make a difference.
In the past, there were a lot of injuries and deaths caused by commercial fishing and shrimping. The laws that have been put in place to reduce or eliminate those casualties have had a lot to do with a general improvement in their status. That, and more public awareness. Their future looks a lot brighter today than it did even 10 years ago.

Carl
 
As an art geek and old hippy, I held a seat on a juried art fair for a decade. During that time I fell in love with an ink artist who drew pictures of endangered and extinct creatures. The Loggerhead is one of the drawings I collected as endangered. His most endearing quirk was that he listed extinct species as EVICTED.
 
His most endearing quirk was that he listed extinct species as EVICTED.
Click to expand...

That's a very powerful (and appropriate) way of stating it.

Carl
 
Carl,

Awe!...to quote a bookmark: "The heart of nature possesses tranquility beyond words."
Thank you, Sophie
 
Thanks, again, for sharing the picture. Jessica would like to personally protect a few ;-) Not sure they'd play well with the kitties, though...

Libby (& Hershey, too!)
 
Donna,
I need to find out what kind of camera Tina uses... Today it was two momma turtles on the beach at 6am making their way back to the ocean. I haven't seen those photos yet, but if I can, I'll share!

Carl
 
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