Update: This just in from J.Here are the preliminary results for the Kemp's nest (A16). Intact eggs were collected and will be sent to a lab for research so we won't have the
# of infertile and dead embryos until later. Data for all nests will be finalized at the end of the season.
Hatched--52
Alive and released--9
Dead--1
Dead pipped--6
Predated---4
Baby Sea Turtles, specifically the endangered Kemp's Ridley, hatched in my mom and dad's beach neighbor's yard this weekend. My parents were lucky to witness the birth. The proud human parents, J and R, and their good dog Fritz, have been protecting this nest for a couple of months after R saw a turtle come ashore to nest. Their efforts to keep people and animals away from the nesting area were rewarded with this special hatch.
The babies are only about two inches long so it is amazing to me that any of them are capable of making that long march to the water especially with predators chasing them. These turtles had help. Volunteers cleared the way and protected the hatchlings until they got to the gulf. With any luck a few of these endangered Kemp's Ridley will make it back to J. and R's yard to nest in about ten years.
5 comments:
Turtles! My favorite animal, and my totem! Blessings on all who worked to see the babies safely to sea!
This is soo cool! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! So glad you shared that.
P was quite into learning about sea turtles this year.
Wow! We often talk of heading to South Carolina for their sea turtle program one day. How amazing to be part of the hatching!
Don't they look a lot like a volcano erupting in the first picture? All those turtles (about a hundred) clamoring out at once seems like chaos.
J and R, M and D don't you want to pipe in with a first hand account?
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