Sea Turtles of Florida

Who would have thought that my morning walk would yield an adventure along the Florida Coast with Sea Turtles.  Power walking on the beach with my tennis shoes on and all of a sudden there was movement on the wet sand and I almost squished this cute little thing.  What a wonderful experience I had with Sea Turtles and their fight for survival. 

As I screamed and jumped out of the way, this very little creature was trying hard to make its way to the ocean.  Poor thing I bet I scared it as much as he scared me.

Loggerhead Turtle track of the mother coming and going from the ocean to lay her eggs on the beach.

Survival of the Sea Turtles

Right there in front of my eyes, was this amazing little sea turtle which are one of my favorites.  I was so excited to witness the flight of these Sea Turtles from their nest.  Their strong desire to live and move past the obstacles in front of them and what they endured to reach the ocean.  What an amazing first time experience.

As much as I wanted to pick them up and take them to the ocean, I let nature take its course.  My job was to keep the birds away while they were making their fast getaway to the sea.  Yes, that was me flapping my arms in the air screaming.

1 turtle has made it out of the nest by climbing over the other turtles still attempting to get out of the nest.

10 facts I learned about the Sea Turtles

• 80% of the Florida Sea Turtles are Loggerhead
• It may take as long as 15 to 50 years before they are able to reproduce.
• Turtles can migrate for thousands of miles but usually will return to the same beach they were hatched to lay their eggs.
• Only 1 of 1000 or 10,000 survive to adulthood
• Female Sea Turtles are reptiles and only come ashore to lay eggs
• Sea Turtles breathe air and can stay underwater for long periods of time
• Hatchlings weigh less than 3 ounces and 2 inches in length and can weigh up to 200-300 pounds and be over 3 feet in length.
• Sex of the turtle is based on the temperature of the nest.  Males like it cool and females like it hot.
• Sea Turtles can feel vibrations and hear low frequency sounds and have great vision underwater.  They are nearsighted when out of the water.
• Diet consists of crab, shrimp, mussels and jelly fish.

1 turtle the size of a sea shell making his way down to the beach. At this crucial time the birds are trying to snatch them on their journey.

Save the Sea Turtles

Centuries ago Sea Turtles roamed the earth but in the last 100 years there has been a decrease in their numbers.  The decrease is due to commercial fishing, pollution, and a demand for their meat and by products. Help organizations that protect the Sea Turtles and provide education to the public.

We can help,  by picking up our trash especially plastic. Enjoy the few pictures I was able to shoot.  I didn’t have my more advance camera with me but was able to get a few cute shots.

The picture show the tracks the mother turtle left in the sand to find a spot to lay her eggs which occurs during the night.  See the nest of hatchlings trying to make their way out the buried nest.  They are crawling over each other to get out. Then we see the obstacles they must endure to reach the ocean.  Amazing how the littlest things in life give us the most joy!

For my other adventures please visit 1 Adventure Traveler.  If your traveling to California, Scuba Diving in the Caribbean, down the Costa Rica, over to Japan,  stop by and visit 1Adventure Traveler.  Check back frequently for more interesting travel destinations.

Please leave only footprints.  Life is short, go out and have an Adventure!

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