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This national park is the longest undeveloped natural barrier island in the world, with 70 miles of coastal prairies, beaches, and sand dunes.
It's about a 25 mile drive from town to the park, so a 50 mile round trip for me. But I've been doing it for years, sometimes twice or three times a week, especially in the summer. And it's totally worth it for me, just to see these:
These are Kemp's ridley sea turtles, the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world. They are also the smallest and rarest of all the sea turtles.
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| Park Ranger holds Kemp's ridley sea turtle hatchling at Padre Island National Park, 14 July 2018, Sat. The hatchlings are the size of a credit card or an OREO cookie with a head and flippers. |
Padre Island National Seashore is the secondary site for this species as a nesting ground. Nuevo Rancho in Mexico is the primary nesting site. In a cooperative and collaborative effort between scientists, citizens, and volunteers between the two nations and from all over the world, the critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle is being protected and aided in its recovery. The work is hard, ongoing, and necessary for the survival of the species. And the public's support is essential in this crucial work.
Every summer, during hatching season, the Padre Island National Seashore holds hatchling releases, sometimes three in a week, and the public is invited. For free! It's one of my fave events in the summer, and I've been going for years.
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| Dr Donna Shaver, head of the Sea Turtle Recovery Division at Padre Island National Seashore, July 2013. As of July 2018, she has been involved in the program for 38 years, saving the endangered sea turtle species. |
It's always heartwarming and exciting to see the tiny hatchlings, the size of a credit card, work their way across the sand and make it to the sea. I was there last Friday, the 13th of July 2018. And I went again the following morning to witness another release. Here are the fotos:
The Saturday release was special, because it was the 40th anniversary of the program to save the Kemp's ridley sea turtle. And there was a whole day of events and celebration planned, so I had to attend. Besides, it's baby turtles! Who doesn't want to see cute little baby turtles crawling to the sea?
I'll share more fotos and discuss the event in the next few days. Until then, enjoy the baby turtle hatchlings, and wish them good luck. It's a dangerous and perilous world for baby (and adult) sea turtles. And they need our help to survive and thrive.
What a wonderful thing to see! Such an event rivals even a Royal Wedding!
ReplyDeleteAnd how fortunate that you're able to get so close - all in the name of education and protection. No predators are going to get those cute little turtles on their way to the sea, not with all those pesky humans around. Although, once they're in the sea, they're on their own, I imagine?
Thanks so much for sharing this, Eros!
IDV, You're Welcome! And it is so exciting and marvelous to see the hatchlings every time I am lucky enough to witness them emerge and crawl to the sea. The park rangers and trained volunteers have nets and flags to keep the predators away. Seagulls are a particular threat--filthy flying rats! So are crabs and coyotes and other large birds, like pelicans. The hatchlings are shielded as they work towards the water, all while the crowd cheers them on.
DeleteBut yeah, once in the water, they seek shelter and safety under the seaweed and reef. It's neat to see then bob their heads up for air before diving and disappearing into the big Gulf of Mexico.
Oh thank you so much for sharing these Eros. I think baby turtles are the cutest. The only ones I see are the turtles up at the lake. But to see them like this is amazing. I saw a Nature episode on PBS once about these turtles and how getting to the sea is hard enough as some birds will go after them, and then even in the sea other predators. The poor things.
ReplyDeleteWe're all on the planet together, so let's help each other and species who need our help.
Maddie, It's my pleasure to share just a few fotos of these amazing little critters. Thanks to the hard work of so many people, the population is finally tending upwards. Still critically endangered, but at least the species is starting to grow in numbers.
DeleteBut yeah, they have so many predators, so I am very happy the professionals know how to protect the hatchlings. Even better, these are just the releases when the public is invited. But there are more releases that take place at other times, when the public isn't there. When the babies are ready to hatch and head towards the sea, the team activates and takes the babies safely to the sea. It's all on the hatchlings schedule. But the park rangers have gotten pretty good at predicting when several clutched will hatch together and when the public can come witness the miracle. And we are so thankful to be a part of something so magnificent.
And you're right. We do need to take of each other and our world better. We have a responsibility to look out for other species, especially the ones who've suffered from our ignorance and carelessness. We can do better. We can be better.
How cool! Good luck to all of the little turtles in their sea-going adventures. May they all return.
ReplyDeleteLX, It is such a fantastic and awesome sight to see. And it takes ten years for these hatchlings to mature to adulthood. The females then return (hopefully) to lay eggs in this same area where they were released. Meanwhile, the males stay out in the sea for the rest of their (hopefully safe) long lives.
DeleteGood news: The females can lay two to three times in nesting season. Eggs hatch in about 45 to 55 days. Last year was the record for the most nests found at the park. This year is the second most on record. Still a positive trend in the species population.
What a neat thing to see! I went to Padre Island numerous times when I lived in McAllen in the 90s but never knew about the sea turtles, or the park. I hope this helps the species survive. Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeletePonita, You're welcome!
DeleteHere's the crazy thing. The first turtle hatchlings were brought as eggs from Mexico in the 1986. No one had any idea about the life cycle of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle. But they marked those first hatchlings, tagging them to identify them. Well, they waited for a long time. The lead scientists, including Dr Shaver, admitted she felt like Linus from the Peanuts in the pumpkin field waiting for the Great Pumpkin to show up. But she kept telling everyone to keep faith, that the hatchlings will return. Finally, in 1996, after ten years of nothing, two adult females returned to lay their eggs. They were identified by their markings/tags, and it was such a momentous event, proof that the program works! And they learned so much more. And since 1996, more and more of the hatchling females returned as adults to nest. And after a few years, after learning more about the sea turtles, the park rangers began to invite the public to witness the hatchling releases.
I went to my first one in the mid 2000s, and have been going faithfully to every hatchling season since. I am so grateful for the experience and the hard work of all who make it possible to save this species.
And this year, I plan to do more to be environmentally responsible and help save some species.
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