Late September our family was
fortunate to be selected to go on an
excavation of a Sea Turtle nest 5 days
after the little ones had left the nest.
The purpose was to monitor how many
hatched and unhatched eggs were
in the nest,as well as to free any hatch ling
stragglers there might. Some of them get
hung up in the soft shells and must be freed.
Some time the dig can get all the way up to the Shoulder.
It must be dug by hand, feeling to prevent injury to the stragglers.
The hatching's are a little larger than a quarter.
Above and below, trapped in the shell, and need assistance.
The hatched eggs are counted,as well as the unhatched, and
stragglers that are released. Careful records are kept.
There were 18 nests on Tybee Island this year,the
record number is around 23.
Below placed in a bucket where they will be released
to the ocean when count is finished.
Below there was a lecture before the dig and
5 month old grandson was mesmerized.
We're going to let them go
Below is Ike now in the Ocean some where off the Florida coast.
Thanks to the Tybee island Marine Science Center.
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