Leatherback Turtles

[Cruisingdad]

I realize this is slightly "off" of the pure sailing mantra, but this is a nice story:

'Crazy Turtle Woman' transforms graveyard into maternity ward - CNN.com

You can also find these giants in numerous other places. Many other areas and coutries have taken a very active stance to save turtles, with Ft. Myers Beach, FL a nice example.

When you are in crystal clear waters, especially near reefs, you can be sailing or motoring over and suddenly see the ground "move". But what you really see are these things swimming under you. Until you have a chance to see one first person, it is hard to describe how exhillarating they are.

Cudos to Suzan Baptiste and the others that make a difference on what is otherwise a thankless endeavor.

- CD

[poopdeckpappy]

I don't know about anybody else, but I enjoy reading stuff like this, it would be kewl if we had a forum dedicated to stuff just like this or even encounters that the members themselves have had with marine critters, sort of a mini marine biology forum.

[sailingdog]

We saw a harbor porpoise on our delivery trip, while waiting to enter the Cape May Canal.

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by poopdeckpappy

I don't know about anybody else, but I enjoy reading stuff like this, it would be kewl if we had a forum dedicated to stuff just like this or even encounters that the members themselves have had with marine critters, sort of a mini marine biology forum.

Le tme kick that around a bit and how we can incorporate that.

Brian

[drgamble]

During my charter in February in the BVI's we anchored off Sandy Cay and dinghied in for some r&r on the beach. After taking a dip in the water we came back to our towels and I noticed this little guy digging his way up and out from under my towel... After about a minute of getting oriented he made his mad dash for the water and off he went. Pretty magical event. We moved our towels and kept our eyes peeled for any siblings but no others came out that day. Not sure of the type of turtle but he was small enough to fit in the palm of your hand... Loggerhead maybe?

[poopdeckpappy]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

We saw a harbor porpoise on our delivery trip, while waiting to enter the Cape May Canal.

We were somewhere off San Onofre when we sailed into a pod of Rissos; we dropped sails and drifted along with them for 10- 15 mins while they played all around us

[Cruisingdad]

Very cool stuff Gamble and Poopy!

- CD

[night0wl]

In 3 outings on our new Beneteau, we've seen 2 big Sea Turtles. Dont know if they're leatherbacks or loggerheads, but the guys teaching me how to use the boat tend to get all excited because its good luck.

[SecondWindNC]

While working for the Lumina News in Wrightsville Beach, NC, I was fortunate enough to witness both sea turtle hatchlings (loggerheads) and the release of rehabilitated sea turtles into the ocean (loggerheads, greens, and Kemps-Ridley). Both were incredible experiences. There are wonderful groups of volunteers supporting the Wrightsville Beach Sea Turtle Project and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (Topsail Island). The turtles need all the help we can give them!



Lumina News - Turtles released



Lumina News - 2008 nest hatching

Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center; A Sea Turtle Hospital on Topsail Island, NC

[LiamM]

For many years, leatherbacks would appear around the Irish coast, were captured, sent to jail in an aquarium and were, eventually, deported to the Carib!
All of this involved the Irish Navy, Air Corps, Army, numerous civic groups and vast expense.
Their deportation usually got a front page photo in the Irish Times.

However, research, initiated by Dr Tom Doyle of University College Cork, allied with a Welsh college, discovered that this was part of a migratory pattern - they follow jellyfish blooms (mainly, the barrel jellyfish) with the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Drift.
Tagged, they were seen to head south in the autumn, past the Canaries, down the west coast of Africa and, presumably, back to the Carib to breed.

I have seen them washed up twice - the first one in Howth, just north of Dublin, badly decayed, carapace and flippers gone, but still the size of a cow.
The other was on the SW coast - no more than six ft long.

I still nearly fall over laughing when I think of the earlier, well intentioned, but utterly misguided, efforts to 'rescue' these poor beasties found around Ireland - the turtle mouthing 'But, but, but....'