Early morning sea turtle patrols; have to take the bad with the good

[qnr]

As some of you might know, I do volunteer work with Padre Island National Seashore, for sea turtle restoration. Mostly it involves finding, protecting and incubating Kemp's Ridley eggs and releasing the hatchlings, but it does involve the other four types of sea turtles that are resident to this area.

In addition to the UTV patrols, we can also do walking patrols for the areas where motorized vehicles are not allowed. Generally, they're uneventful, and you just get to look at the items on the beach and think random thoughts. Sometimes, however, you do run across things that you'd rather you hadn't.

This is a dead loggerhead sea turtle that drifted up on the the beach. There are some closeups in the set if you want to see them, just click on the picture.:

Still, I do get to see some beautiful sunrises too:

I took this one this morning, it was a really yucky day - gloomy, high water, very soft sand - hard for walking (they had a beach cleanup down-island, and 4-wheel-drive vehicles were getting stuck all over the place) - but it sure was a pretty sunrise:

[hippywife]

1. That last shot is incredible!

Wow! I just don't know what to say but that.

So sorry about the turtles. Does anyone think they know how old it might be, and what might have killed it? It must be heartbreaking to find them like that when spending so much time on their survival.

Thanx for doing what you do and sharing with us. :hug:

[qnr]

2. Thank you. The interesting part is that is pretty much SOOC, with just minor tweaks.

Yeah, there are some real experts locally, however, I'm just a peon and they don't feel it necessary to advise me on these matters ;-) I'm going to ask the Sea Turtle Science & Recovery Rangers when I head in for my UTV patrol on Monday morning.

Thanks, I really enjoy doing it. And yes, it's sad when you come across the dead ones (I found a dead Kemp's Ridley on my first UTV patrol, and they're critically endangered), but I know that it's part of the cycle.

[Xipe Totec]

3. I spent a summer at the UTPA Marine Station in South Padre

That's a beautiful part of the world down there.

[qnr]

4. It is. I prefer northern climes, but this area does have its charms n/t

[Celebration]

5. Wow that sunrise

Sometimes beautiful days don't make the best pictures. We used to go to Port Aransas quite a bit, and I remember that the waves on that part of the Gulf Coast are generally so much bigger than in Florida.

Sorry about the turtle.

[qnr]

7. Yeah, I see more interesting sunrises and sunsets in poorer weather. The waves

do get high here, but they were really up today. Thanks - it looks like it enjoyed quite a number of years.

[Saphire]

6. The last one...spectacular.

[qnr]

8. Thanks (Like I made it or something heheh) - I really liked it too n/t

[WillParkinson]

9. Completely agree!

Excellent job Mom Nature.