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