The turtles are back & a-layin'

[MikeJacobs]

Thanks for rousting me last night for the long turtle watch walk. It was great seeing eveybody but too bad the turtles were shy. Just after you left 80 came right up simultaneously! It was incredible... turtles everywhere! They actually brought a picnic and made an evening of it.

BTW Grier - it is NOT funny trying to trade turtle soup recipes with the turtle-watchers. They are very dedicated environmentalists and therefore have NO sense of humor. The manatee omlette idea sounded interesting, but it's a FEDERAL CRIME to mess with the turtles, nests or hatchlings as you know, and I think the same goes for manatee. It all tastes like chicken anyway, I hear.

Next time you're all in the neighborhood don't hesitate to ring, knock or call... it was fun!

 

[Scubaguy62]

We're going to take you up on that Mike

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Ahhhh, a splendid time was had by all. We didn't have any turtle visitors (I heard that the turtle tours scared them away from the beaches - those environmentalists found them too scary and humorless and didn't want to raise their babies around there.)

And so, under the light of my Sony HandiCam (the Paris Hilton edition!), we walked and looked and found one nest, which we didn't touch.

Here are some photos:

Mike Jacobs, a great sport and excellent host, as always, sporting that handsome face bandage.

Marvel, who always adds her special touch to our adventures. Is it you reminding me, Marvel, or just the sea that makes me feel so much a part of the Infinite when I'm diving?

And of course, there's soon to be Dive-Instructor-in-the-Caymans Rick, who actually remembered to bring a flashlight and found the nest.

And finally (for this post, anyway - more to come soon) there's Angie, who has assured me will always make sure that her buddy's safety sausage stays well inflated and ensure a successful rescue from every dive...

 

[GrierHPharmD]

And here are the rest:

Here's one of Rick and Angie, enjoying the evening together

And their lovely daughters, Alexis (soon to join us as a diver, we hope!) and Victoria (the star of OceanFest, who has finally grown comfortable with my beard)

And the nest. Note the indention to the left center of the frame where she rested her head.

And finally, your humble narrator...

We tried to get a group shot, but it was even darker than these.

Still, once again, it was a great evening with good friends (maybe that should be a good evening with great friends, I don't know...)

Let's get underwater together soon,
Grier

 

[GrierHPharmD]

What kind of turtles were they? Alligator snappers perhaps... or even Madagascar rayed tortoises?

I think these are hawkbill. But the nest was pretty large. Could have been a loggerhead. Hawkbills are very common just off that beach.

To give you a little geographical background. The beach in question is at Lauderdale By The Sea, a beach town just north of Ft. Lauderdale on the Atlantic coast.

As for Alligator Snappers, I think that they live in fresh water. I'm not sure about the tortoises, but I thought that tortoises are terrestrial.

 

[algal bloom]

Yikes!! Please don't take offense, but you guys look scary!

My wife loves turtles. She is so jealous that I saw a hawksbill on my last dive (thanks to the keen eyes of Chris!) I think watching them lay would be the perfect thing to do to include my wife and the little one in on my love for the ocean.

 

[Marvel]

Yikes!! Please don't take offense, but you guys look scary!

My wife loves turtles. She is so jealous that I saw a hawksbill on my last dive (thanks to the keen eyes of Chris!) I think watching them lay would be the perfect thing to do to include my wife and the little one in on my love for the ocean.

LOL!! I agree totally! Grier- don't you have Photoshop or something????

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Dive of the Living Dead....

 

[Waterbabie]

Those were scary!!! But how cool was that. I can't believe I missed it! I need to read the board more often! Bummer.

 

[Scubaguy62]

Scary huh?? And I wasn't even trying to be So much for Grier and his new toys....lol