March 2011— There were over a hundred wooden stakes, some with red strips of plastic tied to the tops, some with yellow, dotting the approximately 6 mile stretch of Juno Beach (Florida) marking Loggerhead sea turtles’ nests. The females leave tracks, called crawls, from the water into the vegetation lines and dunes to create nests and lay their eggs. Signs warn visitors not to disturb the nests at risk of breaking the law. My friend Beverly and I arrived early at the beach to walk as the sun rose. Volunteers from the Loggerhead Marine Life Center rode along the beach in all terrain vehicles (ATV’s)documenting the newest crawls, and nests. About 60 days after the eggs are laid, baby turtles will hatch deep in the sand knowing their mission, to climb up toward the light to make their way directly to the water.We paused to photograph the turtle crawls and nests when suddenly Beverly grabbed my arm and pointed to where my foot was about to trample a struggling new baby.The tiniest of turtles, smaller than the length of my big toe, scurried across the sand when suddenly she was pushed back by a mighty wave. She came out of it to push forward again, thrown by another bigger wave which flipped her over right before our eyes. I leaned down to watch her struggle to right herself. We’d read all of the warning signs as we approached the beach. I repeated the words as I remembered them, “Endangered Species. Penalty of law to interfere with the sea turtles in any way.” “Can I touch her?” I asked my friend.“It’s that or watch it die,” Beverly responded. The tiny turtle had climbed its way out of the sand and down the 20 feet of beach to the edge of the water but was unable to flip herself over. I dropped to my knees in the wet sand and with my left pointer finger gently touched the left underside of her shell which was cold and sand covered. She easily flipped over to catch the next wave out.The survival rate of newborn turtles making it to adulthood is estimated by some to be as low as 1% but I knew my turtle would make it. She’ll return to this beach someday to make her own nest and all because I was there to flip her over and save her life.
ImmersionTraveler 