Back on Turtle Beach

Like most Florida residents, I moved here from somewhere else - somewhere quite different. I didn't come here for the endless summer, but the sand and saltwater were directly related to my pilgrimage from the heart of the Bible belt to the east coast, the crust of the New World and the beginning of mine.

As a kid I was in awe of Shamu and inspired by every bleached out sea star in the gift shops of Hawaii.  I was fortunate enough to go there as an enthusiastic 11 yr old and nearly went blind on that 2 week trip, staring at the ocean horizon; not daring to blink lest I miss a humpback whale sighting. Even then I knew that April was past season and their migration to the cold waters of Alaska had already begun-  they were long gone.  Still, I stared endlessly and used my allowance money to buy a t-shirt with a very friendly sunglass-wearing humpback cheerfully displaying the false impression that I had actually seen a whale for myself 

Florida, despite its lack of humpback whales, was still the ocean and I jumped at the chance to move over 1500 miles from everyone and everything I knew just to be near it.  Following one opportunity to the next landed me working on the beach doing sea turtle research. This immersion commanded my attention both professionally and recreationally for nearly 10 years.  From nesting to rehabilitation, through live capture and necropsies on the dead, sea turtles has been so integrated in my life that I can honestly say, "been there, done that, got the tattoo." 

Last week I found myself back on the beach recently with another college buddy, Donna.  Scheduling conflicts and a toddler kept me off sea turtle nesting surveys (this year) but I was able to capture this moment and remember why I love the world of turtles and find the process of nesting surveys on the beach so restorative.  As an educator, it would be easy to carry on about sea turtles indefinitely, and anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes would probably attest to that fact.  There will be more on turtles in the future on this pages, but today I want to talk about one day and one survey.

Sea turtles live in the ocean. That might seem like a silly thing to mention, but I have seen people trying to raise them in chlorinated swimming pools and release poor freshwater sliders on the beach.  Marine turtles have such rare contact with land that it can be pinpointed to just a few reasons:

Perfect loggerhead nest fresh from the previous night

1. They are born on the beach, but immediately go to the water if healthy
2.  Females return as close as possible to the beach of their birth to lay their own eggs
3.  Unfortunate turtles wash ashore when injured or seriously ill
4.  There are always exemptions found in nature. For instance, green sea turtles, both male and female, have been documented basking on the rocky shores in areas of Hawaii. Have NOT seen that on my excursions to the islands, but have seen plenty of pictures and spoken to scientists and witnesses about it.

Sea turtle nesting surveys require permitting, training, and getting dirty.  Since marine turtles are all protected by the Endangered Species Act, not just anyone can go running out on the beach at dawn and go digging around. The survey consists of 3 major situations: nests, false crawls (aka non-nesting emergence if you want to sound technical), and hatch outs.  The last involves the end of incubation when live hatchlings (baby turtles) emerge from the nest and head for the water. This particular survey did not have any new hatch outs.

Donna and I arrived on the beach prior to sunrise, but when the sun finally started to peek out from the clouds we had already been walking and rained on for awhile.  Years ago, prior to becoming pregnant with my now 3 yr old son, I dragged my "I am SO not a morning person" friend out on to a totally different beach at dawn to volunteer on a 2 mile stretch not far from this day's survey.  While walking along we chatted lightly about turtle work in the past and how our lives have shifted, yet here we are again, back on the beach tracking the trails left behind by living dinosaurs.  Awesome.  It was almost surreal this time, though, as she was the lead on this survey, instructing me on how this beach is run. The methods and tracking vary with permit, and it was very cool to be trained by someone that I had trained in the past.  Then Donna said perhaps the greatest compliment I have heard this year... she thanked me for introducing her to sea turtles.

Just like me, D finds the long beach walks cathartic and prime time for self-reflection.  Since conservation work is happening at the same time, one often walks away from the beach feeling productive on a professional and emotional level.  C'mon, it's such a great feeling to know you are doing something for the greater good of the planet and pardon my lofty enthusiasm, but saving the world one species at a time also provides those warm fuzzies which drive humans to do many great things.

This False Crawl is a direct result of the turtle hitting a large sea wall.

Okay, the warm fuzzies have officially cooled off and now here are some real facts about sea turtles for you to enjoy!  Of the 7 species of sea turtles found on this planet (many scientists discuss an 8th, the black sea turtle but that is a discussion that merits its own entry - so I am going with tradition and the Sea Turtle Conservancy on this one), 5 are found in or around Florida's coasts and 3 of those have significant nesting here: loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacia). 

Textbook green sea turtle track

In Florida, the turtle nesting season technically runs from March 1 - Oct 31, but the height of season is June 1 - August 31. Donna and I were greeted by both loggerhead and green turtle crawls on this day.

Loggerhead crawls are characterized by comma-shaped tracks

Any time a sea turtle comes ashore and does not nest, it is considered a false crawl or non-nesting emergence and can happen for a variety of reasons. Something may have startled the turtle (human or otherwise), or maybe she just digs for a bit and simply doesn't like the quality of the sand and changes her mind - a woman's prerogative after all.

Green turtle tracks look very similar to large tractor tire tracks (see above) and generally range from about 3-4' across.  These mature ladies start at 300 lbs, so they are using all 4 flippers to hoist their bodies up the sand  The center line seen in the photo I took on this survey shows the tail dragging in the sand as she moved back to the water.

Loggerhead turtles are smaller and crawl very differently.  They have an alternating gate, like how human babies typically crawl around with one limb forward at a time.  The comma-shaped flipper marks are made by the back flippers, so the track pictured here is moving to the left. The back flipper track basically covers up the front track, which makes it easy to spot a "stumpy" turtle - one with a short or missing back flipper.  It happens, and while the egg chamber may look odd, these injured turtles can still have successful nests.

This loggerhead nested right next to a large stack of folding beach chairs, so we tri-staked the area to keep it from getting consistently trampled for the next 2 months.

In addition to marking new nests and taking notes of false crawls, we were keeping an eye out for hatched nests.  Roughly 60 days after the nest is laid, all of the eggs hatch and the baby turtles emerge from the nest as a group. This usually happens at night, so a mass of tangled tiny track marks can be seen the following day.  I do not suggest sitting next to a nest all night long exactly 60 days after it was laid in the hopes of seeing a natural hatch out.  I have personally spoken to people who had "been walking this beach for 40 years" and never seen one, and also a family from Indiana that had arrived the previous night/morning on a red eye flight, checked in to their hotel and walked out on to the beach to see the little critters everywhere.  It's like roulette, and all about luck.

I never get tired of beach work!... although I do smell pretty bad when I get home

Part of the survey includes excavations.  Digging up a hatched out nest yields extremely valuable scientific data. Loggerhead nests (what we dug this time) are usually about 2 feet deep overall and shaped like an upside down light bulb.  The hatchlings move around in the bowl portion and since you have 75 - 100 of them moving around down there, the sand packed into the shaft by momma breaks away and filters down under the babies.  This process slowly pushes everybody up in one chaotic group, but sometimes the dudes at the bottom of the pile get left behind, but don't worry - we find 'em later and set them free after taking complete inventory of the nest contents.

Excavation & inventory take place 3 days after hatch out to allow nature to take its own course

We finished the morning after 3+ hours with 3 loggerhead nests, 1 green nest, and a couple of loggerhead false crawls. We excavated 2 loggerhead nests, and ended up with 7 live guys that all went to the ocean quickly. Not a crazy day considering this is a record nesting season for loggerhead turtles across the state, but no nests washed away, no poaching, and no natural predators destroying nests so I would still call it a productive and positive day for turtles.

Happy Birthday! to this little loggerhead hatchling

Since my passion for sea turtles does run so deep, expect to see plenty of photos from past excursions emerge on to the blog.  Going back out for one morning reminded me of how amazing the experiences have been, and that I documented so many of them with photos and videos!

Even if its raining, don't be afraid to go to the beach.  At least it won't be crowded! (now, lightning is a different story and use that big beautiful brain of yours when it comes to playing safe) Dig through those old photos and take a moment to reminisce about those adventures that truly shaped your life.

And, if you aren't sick of sea turtles yet... stay tuned!

-Callie

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center - Revisited

There are so many local parks and wonderful places to visit on your own or with family.  One place quite near and dear to my heart is the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, FL.  This FREE facility stays open with support of grants, public donations, the City of Boca Raton, and Florida Atlantic University.  This facility has been around for nearly 30 years as a resource for educational programs, all the while instilling a love for many natural local treasures - sea turtles being perhaps my personal favorite. My history with Gumbo Limbo reaches back into the previous millennium, and I can honestly say it was the catalyst for changing my life.

As a teenager, my mind (as all teenagers do) was set in concrete: I was joining the United States Air Force. Instead of taking art classes or home economics, I attended a technical school and was trained as an aircraft mechanic. I finished entrance exams and a battery of tests. I got my letters of recommendation and worked at a small local airport for a flight school and FBO.  I was a female in a non-traditional field and reasonably good at my job.  But I yearned for the water even more than the sky.

Further back in time, as a child, we traveled to both coasts visiting family, and I shall never forget when I was only 5 years old and saw the ocean for the first time. The Jersey Shore was grey and cold but I believed it to be the most beautiful site on the planet.  I was chased by ridiculously brazen and monstrously huge sea gulls who in the end did, in fact, secure my glazed donut. So yeah, I was both traumatized and simultaneously hooked on the ocean, although less enthusiastic about gulls.

My life slowly unfolded, choices were made, and I landed in south Florida many moons ago.  After about a year of dealing with the culture shock, I took the scenic way home one day and saw the Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex on Ocean Boulevard; at that moment my new direction in life was set in motion. I walked in just to check the place out and was so inspired that I knew instantly I wanted to volunteer there. Coincidence had me meeting with the volunteer coordinator at the front door, and within a week I was going through my volunteer orientation.  So many volunteers and staff there were in college, that within another week I was enrolling myself in hopes of acquiring that impossible degree in marine biology.  Gumbo Limbo provided mentors, close friends, and field experience that I had never seriously imagined possible. When I try to define "home", Gumbo is still one of the places that comes to mind and I go there even now for inspiration and reflection.

Growth is a part of life, and Gumbo Limbo has never stopped evolving.  The facility has practically been through an overhaul in the past 5 years alone.  Now, I go back and usually take my 3 yr old son to explore.  The first stop out front is the Sea Turtle Garden, where all 7 species of sea turtles are on display as life size replicas. Since of course one should never actually climb on or harass a sea turtle, this is the perfect opportunity to get a "feel" for the scale and presence of these living dinosaurs.  The artist's renditions of these animals is meticulous and anatomically accurate too. My little one was not the only person scaling these sculptures that day, I assure you! It was actually quite tricky to get this photo without showing people all over the place.

The Sea Turtle Garden is a great spot to be a kid again!

Among the major changes going on, Gumbo completely renovated one of the most popular exhibits- the large, open water system aquaria.  These tanks hold thousands of gallons of seawater pumped in directly from the ocean.  The "open system" has water quality literally as good as the ocean's and the drain flows into the intracoastal waterway behind the facility.  It actually improves the water quality in the intracoastal too. This unique snapshot of Floridan ecosystems reaches from the shallow mangrove community to the coral reefs, and examples of these are shown with beautiful style.

The mangrove exhibit is actually 2 separate aquaria (only 1 shown here)

One striking contrast of these new tanks is that they are covered! I recall countless hours sitting under mesh canopies getting drizzled on while speaking with guests determined to squeeze every moment of fun out of their limited vacation time. Both the sun and elements are now removed and the focus is truly on the exhibit itself and the animal ambassador residents.  The deeper tanks actually have two different viewing levels, and we came so early after the re-opening of the exhibits, that we did not get a chance to see the puffer fish and sharks from the upper deck. Just a great excuse to go back soon!

A visit to Gumbo Limbo is incomplete without taking the time to enjoy the historical side of the facility too. My son's personal favorites (this time) included the original cannons and the ship's wheel seen below.

Ready to set sail!

There are so many niches and interesting corners of the Nature Center, that to not explore in all directions is to miss some intimate moment that might stick in your mind.  The butterfly garden is nicely groomed and on the way down a pleasant trail leading to the intracoastal.  The opposite direction lets you roam through the ancient hammock. I can actually call it that accurately since the Indian midden mounds studied on site were dated back over 2,000 years! Take the time to climb the tower and get a view that would make a pelican jealous. Notice how the sounds of humanity fade away and tap into the natural environment without having to watch out for fire ants. There is more to see than what I mentioned here, but I will let you have a few discoveries too.

Above all else, know that every staff member and volunteer, much like myself, are permanently attached to this place. Gumbo Limbo is special to many lovers of nature, and allows for a unique and intimate experience for the general public of all backgrounds and interests.  The people answering the phones, feeding the fish, and providing educational enrichment truly love being there.  It shows.  Gumbo Limbo is not a franchise or a formula, but has grown into a local icon that should definitely be circled when planning your vacation, or even just a weekend.

If you went there as a kid on a school field trip, go back! Enjoy it on your own as a chance to reflect, or take family and rediscover it through their eyes.   As for me, I am always happy to go home and visit.  Besides, it is right next to the beach and you were headed there anyway - right?
-Callie

For more information on Gumbo Limbo, check out their website www.gumbolimbo.org

Stranded in the Keys-Part II

So, as a follow up to the last post, out of 21 pilot whales that stranded in the Keys last week, only 2 were released and 5 more of those stranded pilot whales survived to have a chance in rehabilitation. 21 whales stranded in that one incident, and all I heard was a snippet on the radio and finally found this article, which provides little information.
http://www.local10.com/news/27838537/detail.html
I followed the trail to the Marine Mammal Conservancy, the organization conducting the whale rehab for these whales. This link will give you details about the stranding, the whales released, and what you can do to help - including getting trained to volunteer!
http://marinemammalconservancy.org/uncategorized/mass-stranding-volunteers-needed

Scotland feared a pilot whale pod with over 100 whales was going to strand, and now dead whales are washing ashore in Ireland, presumably from that same pod. The pod numbers are currently estimated at about 60 whales (at least 33 dead whales have already been spotted). The Guardian website in the U.K. seems to be keeping fairly current on this issue (unlike the coverage we get locally):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/23/fears-whales-beaching-ireland
Since the big questions is always "why" are they stranding, I was surprised to learn about the necropsy report on one of these whales - the lactating female had a diseased melon. The calf was not found (yet). Considering the melon is involved in everything from communication to echolocation, this could be a serious issue if the entire pod is having similar health problems. Not all functions of a toothed-whale or dolphin's melon are yet known.

On a lighter note, it is "World Turtle Day" - which has existing since 2000. Ironically, it is sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue. Check out http://www.tortoise.com/ for details.

Whether you move slowly or quickly, don't get shell-shocked and have a nice day!
-Callie

Stranded in the Keys

16 short-finned pilot whales stranded in the Florida Keys on May 5th.
While I can assure that this was not due to partying on Cinqo de Mayo, I'm actually not going to discuss speculation on why this whale pod washed ashore. There are countless sources you can easily access online with better descriptions and answers to your questions than what I can spin together in one afternoon online. Even with my personal interactions on scene with stranded dolphins and sea turtles, both alive and dead, I would research for days or weeks prior to creating a serious article on the potential causes and solutions to such events.
Here is a link to get you started:
http://www.marineanimalrescue.org/scripts/infoview.asp?documentid=39

I will give a bit of background for you though -
A stranding refers to the presence on the beach of a marine animal in distress. This means a sea turtle coming up during nesting season is not a stranded animal. She is supposed to be on the beach digging her nest and laying her eggs. If something happens so the turtle is unable to return to the water (i.e. she gets trapped on the shore by furniture or trash) then she is now in distress and stranding protocol will be followed. A stranded animal should not be simply pushed back to shore by concerned citizens on the beach. Individuals who have been properly trained by authorized organizations will know how to asses an animal and get the right people on scene so the creature is given the best chance possible for survival. Bear in mind, marine animals are not meant to be on shore for long if at all, and the sheer weight of their bodies not supported by saltwater can cause serious damage to internal organs. So don't go rolling Flipper down the beach and back into the water, Ok?

I DO want to take the time to talk about how rescuers actually work in these bizarre situations in often extreme circumstances.
I have been fortunate enough to have trained and worked in the field with sea turtle strandings all over Florida, but also with dolphin strandings and even marine mammal rehabilitation with the Marine Animal Rescue Society (MARS) and Mote Marine Labs. So I have been through the rigorous workshops on properly assessing and transporting these massive creatures. And yes, it really is as cool as it sounds.

I first heard about this newest stranding via e-mail; I'm still on the MARS network, although I am rarely available to volunteer these days. MARS handles all marine mammal strandings in the southeast portion of Florida, and they operate out of Biscayne Bay. This stranding took place in the Florida Keys and within hours the local stranding unit with the Marine Mammal Conservancy was on scene and coordination with other organizations had begun. They worked with MARS, NOAA, FWC, and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) to get these animals monitored, assessed, and transported. This was splashed all over the news reels that aquaholics and eco-junkies follow, then vanished from much of the media. Most of those blips simply stated the event, and say the standard tag line "the cause of the stranding is unknown".
Uh, YEAH, that's the big debate these days. So let's move on...

The above organizations send an all-call to trained volunteers to show up and help out. So don't ever think that simply showing up is enough to help. You need to sign up in advance and learn about what to do with your group in order to be helpful. A bunch of people standing around not knowing what is going on are no help at all. Trust me on this one from personal experience. You can help with things like calling the proper authorities and crowd control. In Florida, this is Fish & Wildlife (FWC) at 1-888-404-FWCC. Every state has a Fish & Wildlife, so next time you go to a park on Earth Day and they have a booth, take the sticker or a flyer and keep it in your glove box so you have the number when you hit the beach or are out on a boat! If you are out often with junkies like me, then you will have the number memorized and on your cell phone anyway.

Once you are trained in these weekend workshops and get your official volunteer t-shirt (wear it with pride everywhere, not just while working) you get called in at the worst possible times to help out. The lists of volunteers are long, but the list of people who ACTUALLY show up is usually very short, so you WILL get to work! Be prepared to lose sleep, get dirty and stinky, possibly bruised, and definitely sore. Be prepared to do or touch some really gross things as these animals may have injuries and there is no time or space for squeamishness. Eat a granola bar, but not McD's, on your way to the stranding. You may not eat for hours, but you might vomit. Listen to your staff and experienced leaders. I don't care how awesome you were in the workshop, the real animal is super heavy and often scared. The giant inflatable pool whale that you transported in the workshop is NOTHING like the live action sequence. Again, trust me.
Also be prepared to fell AWESOME about yourself later. Whether the animals you assist do well or don't survive - you have helped and interacted with an amazing animal and some amazingly dedicated people. The outfits work on shoestring budgets and even "high ranking" staff make poverty level wages and usually no benefits. Bring donuts when you come in later to help with the rehabilitation of the surviving animals. Oh yeah, you can't just help out on the beach and bail. The personal attachment you might get with a stranded animal is perfectly normal and try to spend some time helping them again later.
Eons ago, at Mote, I was literally dropped into a tank with a pygmy sperm whale who had been in rehab for months. It was a rush no drugs can deliver, and even when they told me, "if she starts breaching, we have to get you out of the water - but don't panic" I was thrilled to able to spend time with "Ami". She had stranded in Miami with her mother "Mia" who did not survive. Ami stayed at Mote, but did not survive through to release. She died October 12nd, 2002 after nearly 2 years at the facility; she had an intestinal disorder. Ami survived longer in captivity than any pygmy sperm whale before. The knowledge gained and the hearts touched will continue to impact this world long after Ami is out of the news. Randy Puckett actually sculpted Ami. That work of art is pictured below. You can learn more about Ami's story here:
http://motemarine.org/~cmanire/Printable/newsOct02.html

The point to this whole segment is that participating in an animal stranding is the definition of being overworked and under-appreciated while still providing a sense of accomplishment. It is the ultimate volunteer opportunity and everyone who expresses a sincere care for the oceans and its life should take part in a stranding at some point in their lives. Getting to be a part of the rehabilitation process and (gasp!) even the release of a stranded animal is perhaps the greatest bond one can obtain with the oceans. After watching your charge swim away, you will feel permanently connected to the waters blanketing this planet.

Have a Happy Mother's Day and try to remember that the feelings and impressions mentioned above are also very much an everyday part of being a Mom. She nurtures, comforts, rescues, protects, and eventually lets go. A deep connection with your offspring is something that cannot be reproduced, only imitated.