Today was a beautiful day to release two loggerhead sea turtles. One of them Joe Burton picked up alive on May 5, 2009 and the other Gulf World thought was ours but I could find no record of it. They both were very young Loggerheads, about 3 years old and both had had pneumonia and rehabbed at Gulf World in Panama City. We took them out this morning about 9 and were back by 10. We went out 4 miles looking for the Sargissam Weed to put them in but finding none we just let them go. I do hope they find enough to eat, now that they are well. Notice how the young Loggerheads have ridges on their backs that go away as they get bigger, hopefully they will come back to Walton County to nest in 20 years.
Larger images can be seen in the Scrapbook Gallery.
False Crawl #11 was found by Johndra on Blue Mountain Beach 6/29/09 a loggerhead see the picture it looks as if she really did start to nest, but they found no eggs and no much thrown sand and out she went.
Was found by Ramsgate in Sea Crest by Joe and marked by he and Charlie, 6/29/09 Loggerhead, left in place.
UPDATE!!
Nest #17 hatched on 8/30/09 at day 62
81 escaped from nest
12 no obvious
1 dead embryo
94 total eggs
86% success
This is what Anthony found this early a.m. When he walked and this is not caging but screening of a nest to keep out predators, and we hope it works.
False Crawl #9 6/25/09 she just could find a place.
False Crawls 9 and 10 were found today. Sharon got a call at 11:20 last night about a nesting sea turtle at Hidden Dunes in the West end. Well, Rachel and I went before 6 this morning and we could not see a track at all, a piece of yellow tape was around an area with a small mound and we dug and dug and nothing…so many people nothing showed and I am sure she just went back in. Again, why can’t people leave a sea turtle alone. Also in the West in a in and out in front of Frangisca. I think there are so many people on the beach we will never find tracks in that area. Ugh.
June 23,2009 we had a false crawl loggerhead near Walton Dunes in Seagrove found by Bobby and a Nest. #16 Found by Debbie, First year walking. This was a loggerhead nest and left in place and was in Gulf Trace near Grayton Beach State Park.
UPDATE! NEST INVASION!
UPDATE!!
Nest #16
76 escaped
22 were depredated
1 no obvious
total success 77% that to a coyote
Nest #15 was found by Bev, on left 6/22/09, a loggerhead, moved because it was in the tide line and the bottom of the nest was already in water. This nest was west of the open area west of Pompano Joe’s, in my West End….Hurrah. She had a bad back flipper, she came in and nested and then as usual she went 214 feet trying to find the water toward the light a Pompano Joe’s. This happens every time. She went up down and all around, went through two holes and over a mound of sand and finally got back into the water. Poor dear..123 eggs moved.
UPDATE!!
Nest #15 has hatched and was dug
120 escaped to the water
2 no obvious
1 dead embryo
98 % success, hurrah west enc
Nest #14 was found by Al 6/21/09 a loggerhead, green street in Sand Cliffs in Sea Crest Happy Fathers Day
UPDATE!!
Nest #14 hatched on 8/25/09 at day 65
89 escaped the nest
10 were found alive in nest and released
3 had no obvious
102 total eggs
97 % hatch success
False Crawl #7 was found 6/21/09 by Anthony, in Dune Allen, the 3rd house east in Vescia, a loggerhead, she body pitted and did not nest and has a bad flipper.