Last night we got to have the most amazing adventure we have had in a while...we were guests on a permitted turtle walk on the Cape Canaveral coast. There was a very informative program in which we learned a lot about the various species of sea turtles. The really amazing thing is that it just so happened that the turtle patrol had that morning found a hatched leatherback nest in which two hatchlings had not made it out and into the water so we were treated to seeing them, and holding them, it was sooooo cool. They were very soft and felt like velvet; it was neat, neat, neat! This is only the second time they have had hatchlings on hand for a scheduled turtle walk. Only two permitted turtle walks are held per year and we were thrilled to get this unique opportunity!
It was then time for the waiting game. We waited for the call on a nesting turtle sighting and we waited and waited and waited... And then the phone finally rang; a loggerhead sea turtle had come ashore and was beginning to nest and dig her clutch for depositing her eggs. In the next twenty minutes or so we would be able to go out and watch as she deposited the eggs, on average around 120 of them. They are about the size of ping pong balls. So we went to the 16th causeway and made our way down the beach waiting a safe distance until Martha, our guide, got word from Angy the turtle spotter, to proceed. Before we could approach the nesting turtle she had to be in the zone and laying the eggs or she would return to the sea without nesting, but once she has made the nest, dug the clutch and starts depositing eggs she will finish. This loggerhead was on the top end of her species size scale, she was 3.5-4 feet long, she was huge IMO!
Getting to receive the leatherback hatchling!
Oh, I am so amazed and thrilled to get to cuddle the hatchling!
MiB got to hold the hatching too!
Not a great picture, we could not use flash or flashlights, except for a couple turtle friendly ones, but this is a picture of the loggerheard as she is depositing her eggs in the clutch that she dug! INCREDIBLE. I already thought sea turtles were awesome, loved the ones in Finding Nemo, Crush and Squirt, but this was over the top amazingly coolio!
