I was invited to go on Turtle Patrol

[surfered]

It’s turtle nesting season and being retired and there being no surf, I volunteered for turtle patrol. A friend is a PHD from the local Marine Science institute and invited me for a turtle patrol. We load an ATV on a landing craft, cross the ship channel from Mustang Island to offload the ATV on San Jose Island.



We patrol the 21 mile island counting certain species of birds, mostly plovers. We also look for nesting turtles and injured/dead turtles snd dolphins.



On this day, in addition to the plovers, we saw two peregrine falcons. Although we didn’t find any nesting turtles, we did find this dead Loggerhead. We looked for tags, there were none, and took measurements. It was the largest my friend had ever seen, measuring 3’ x 3’



On his very next trip, my friend did find a nesting Kemp Ridley and collected 93 eggs. The eggs were taken to the National Seashore on Padre Island where they are incubated and the hatchlings are tagged and released. They have a 95% success ratio.

[SheltieLover]

1. OMG how awesome!

TY for this important work you are doing!

For anyone else living vicariously like myself, I read a great fictional series about the women who tend to the turtles beginning with The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe.

Enjoy!

[CoopersDad]

2. Great fun, must do bucket list kind of thing!

Down in Akumal my wife and I went out with a University group at night to aid and observe laying of eggs. One morning a few days later on a different part of the beach we watched hatchlings come out and head for the surf!

[canetoad]

3. Very cool

That's the kind of thing that I love doing. Normally I hang around the rocky reefs to photograph the critters that live there. Today, along with my JRT and a friends retriever, I went to an isolated beach that is a drive through a cattle farm then half an hours walk to Bass Strait.

We have the last remaining Hooded Plovers nesting on the coastline; despite all efforts, I know they will be extinct in twenty or thirty years. Last year's violent storms were ominous and a glimpse at the future. Nothing much on the beach today but did see some emus driving back through the farm.

[Xavier Breath]

4. It's good that you're doing that 'cause I hear Melania has stopped going on turtle patrol.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

5. I used to be a seabird steward (w/nesting birds) on Marco isl and worked with the "turtle lady."

We used to watch out for the nesting birds and stopped people from bringing “loose dogs” there.

[Deuxcents]

6. Looks like the turtle got caught up in some debris and maybe drowned.

For some reason, I thought you were in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico side but I now think you’re in Texas. I have a sister that lives in Surfside Beach..she moved there last year from Henderson, thankfully, and has always dreamed of living there as she loves the sea life, too

[Bayard]

7. I was wondering the same thing

Are those ropes hanging off of him?

[Deuxcents]

9. Sure looks like it.

[surfered]

11. That was rope we used to pull her out of the surf.

We had to measure her, look for tags, and injuries. We found none. Given her size, she was quite old

[surfered]

12. Texas, which has the longest string of barrier islands in the world

Starting in Mexico with Brazos Island, Padre Island, Mustang Island, San Jose Island, Matagorda Islsnd, Follets Island, Galveston Islsnd, High Island. 234 miles separated by natural passes and man made ship channels

We actually had a researcher move here from England because of the length of these barrier islands.

[surfered]

13. That was our rope to pull it out of the surf for measuring and inspection

We found no visible signs of injury. Given its size, it might have been old age

[Cha]

8. TY kick &

For Turtles 🐢🐢!

[Raine]

10. So Cool 🐢

I have a California Desert Tortoise (no going in the water for him. ) He's so sweet, I just love him so much. 💕