Sea Turtles to the Rescue!

                                     

 You might say day two of our first face to face camp was hybrid.  Scratching your head?  Our campers did too, but only for a brief moment.  You see we broke out the VR Goggles and the Clorox wipes (sanitation is key in our post COVID world) and we introduced them to all sorts of interactive video learning.  This morning our campers visited a hog farm, swam in the ocean with hammerhead sharks, and may have ridden a roller coaster with dinosaurs.  

  By 10:30 we were on the road again headed out to learn all about Sea turtles.  We landed in Surf City at the Karen Beasley Turtle Rescue and Rehab Center.  It was a complete tour learning about the five types of sea turtles (that's really all there are) in the world.  We learned about the center's history, and how there many many many volunteers help protect and save sea turtles.

  We learned about the anatomy of these sometimes large creatures.  For example their shells are made from something similar to our finger nails that can grow with them.  We also learned that the unique structure of their bones is what allows them to float and swim.  Did you know that sea turtles actually can't hide in their shells like land turtles?  So for these creatures its a case of fight or flight.  

Our campers got a small history lesson as well.  In 1973, then President Nixon, enacted a law that made owning any part of a turtle illegal.  So that is why things such as tortoise shell combs and jewelry are generally made of plastic.  It is also a federal offense to be in possession of a sea turtle or any part of it from what we were told.  So as neat as they are...don't save a shell if you find one on the beach.  

We also got lessons in how trash effects our turtle population and why it is important not to release balloons, leave fishing lines out and how plastic bags can be confused underwater for jelly fish.  Imagine going in to eat your favorite treat and swallowing a plastic bag instead.  That is a common cause of something that makes these amazing creatures so sick.

Did you know sea turtles can lay up to 200 eggs in a nest?  Mama sea turtles will lay eggs for a couple of weeks and could have several nests, but then they don't lay eggs again for a couple of years.  When sea turtle hatch out of the sand they follow the light of the moon towards the sea.  The volunteers at the rescue center actually go out looking for nests and mark them.  They they sit out around hatch time to help these little guys find their way to the sea.  The sea turtles have a small survival rate due to environmental concerns, predators, water temperature fluxuations and these folks do all they can to help increase their survival rate in the world.

I think the highlight of the tour was actually meeting the turtles that have been rescued.  Some are getting ready to be released after months and even years of being cared for.  Others will not be able to be released.  For example the female turtle that is blind, or the turtle that was hit by a boat propeller and now his back is damaged causing his tail to float above the water and not his head.  These ingenious folks made a device out of PVC pipe that he can go under and it holds his backend down and he can reach up above the water for air with no issue.  He is much loved and frequently comes to the surface of his tank for belly rubs.

We learned that the center makes it's own salt water for these turtles using pallets of salt every week to ensure their clienteles safety and health.  they even have a physical therapy tank for the turtles and give them baths and tend to all of their medical needs.  This was a great place to go and learn about a creature we don't often see and none of us knew about before.  A big thank you to our tour guide and the centers willingness to give us a tour.  We appreciate your time, expertise, and what you are doing for our sea turtle population.

To see more of our adventure in photos please click this link.