Carla

TLP_Day-11_Turtle-Tracks

TLP_Day-11_Turtle-Tracks
Carla, Jan 11, 2021
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566 Words:
Kent and I love to cruise and it was on our first visit to the Eastern Caribbean that my story unfolds. Kent’s birthday was coming up and I wanted to do something special for him that year. We had talked about going on another cruise so I knew that this would be something that he would want to do. Because of my work schedule, we could not go for his birthday as it was too close to the end of the month so I ended up booking a cruise out of Port Canaveral, Florida that was scheduled to leave on
a Saturday two weeks before his birthday. We decided to drive over the day before and stay on the beach in Melbourne, Florida overnight. The hotel was just 20 miles from the Port and we would be able to enjoy the beach during the evening the day before we left.

When we arrived at the hotel, we took our luggage to the room and decided to go sit on the beach for a bit. Before we left the room, I noticed a flyer that was on the desk telling about the sea turtles nesting and asking guests to make sure that the curtains were closed to keep the light at a minimum
because the turtles were driven by the light of the moon. After enjoying the beach for a bit, we went to dinner and then came back to get some sleep before heading to the cruise terminal in the morning.

Like a true person on vacation, the photographer in me dragged me out of bed to see the sunrise and take in the beautiful morning waves crashing on the beach. I grabbed some of that wonderful in room, make it yourself coffee and decided to put my 300x zoom lens on the camera to be able to get a good shot of the beach in front of the hotel.

I stepped out onto the balcony and started scanning the area snapping photos as I went and then... I saw them. Beautiful Sea Turtle tracks. One set coming out of the water and another going back into the water. I was shocked, amazed, and honestly overjoyed to see them and I immediately called Kent to come and see. After taking a few more photos from the balcony, we both jumped back inside the room, changed clothes, and headed for the beach.

When we got to the place where the tracks came up to the dunes, we saw that someone had come and dug up any eggs that may have been there. All that was left was a large gaping hole in the sand where the mother turtle had been. At first, I was upset that any eggs that might have
been there had been taken but after talking to some of the locals, we learned that the Florida Dept. of Marine Resources rescues the eggs that are buried by the mother sea turtles and takes them to a place to hatch. Once the eggs hatch, the baby turtles are released back into the sea. The reason
they do this is to keep the baby turtles safe from being destroyed by humans or eaten by other predators such as crab.

It was a true learning experience for me as it was something that I had never seen before and may never see again.

Count the Waves by Sahlin Studios

Font: Garamond and Bhatoshine
    • Saar
      Oh those photos are amazing. I love the colors you used and all the subtile elements. Beautiful work.
    • Lillyia
      You tell a wonderful story, Carla, with great feeling and description. I can imagine your intake of breath, as you stood there in awe. How lucky was that to capture that moment in time on your camera and in your heart.
    • bestcee
      Those photos are so beautiful! I love that you included the information about how the nests are dug up for protection and the sign at the hotel. Thanks for playing in my challenge!
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  • Category:
    Month of Challenges 9
    Uploaded By:
    Carla
    Date:
    Jan 11, 2021
    View Count:
    165
    Comment Count:
    3

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