Turtle Hatching

To be on an island… to be at a nest… to be there the day, the hour, the minute, when a sea turtle hatches. A once in a lifetime.



We walked down to the nest. The area is protected so all I really expected to see this evening was this, a bunch of tape.



The turtle volunteer people were there. Said, some of the nest had hatched the night before but they were expecting a few more tonight. Their mission, guide the hatchings out of the nest using lights (simulating moonlight reflecting off the water) into a cooler.



Probably would have left but then one of the volunteers, “You got one hatching” spotted a head peeping out of the sand.



It took the little guy a long time to bust out of the sand but once he was free he boogies right down the sandy path.

I have to tell you he was pretty stupid. Even with those big lights shinning in his face, he still veered off course. The volunteers re-adjusted him. Soon he was in the cooler.



The cooler was then carried to the surf where the little guy was released. It was amazing but sort of sad. He looked like a spec. I thought a juice box might have a better chance. Here was this tiny little turtle being released into this giant ocean to make a 50 mile swim to some seaweed island floating who knows where. I hope he made it.