Ready for a life changing adventure?
We wake early in the morning on a July day, and by early, I mean 4 am, to head to the beach. We need to be at Malaquite Beach in front of the visitor center at South Padre Island National Seashore on North Padre Island in Corpus Christi by 6:30 am. After a short presentation by the park ranger on the history of the Ridley Turtles, we head down to the beach to watch the release of the hatchlings.
Let’s take a step back in time…
The Ridley Turtle is making a comeback, despite being on the critically endangered species list, due to the efforts of the National Park Service. The female turtle come onshore anywhere from mid-March through August to lay their clutch of eggs. Females nest every 1-3 years on the same beach where they were born. A female can have from 1 to 4 clutches per year with each clutch having an average of 100 eggs. When the Park Service finds a clutch of eggs, they gather them and take them to the hatchery. The eggs are incubated for 6-8 weeks at which time they will begin to hatch. Gender is determined by the temperature, the warm temperatures will hatch females, lower temperatures hatch males. Once hatched the baby turtles, no bigger than an Oreo cookie, will start to “frenzy” at which time they are ready to be released. If the weather is good, the Park Service will host a public release. Now back to our story…
If you are lucky enough to attend a release, you are not to wear white or use flash photography. The babies will follow the light, so they are released at daybreak. The baby turtles are not put directly into the water, they are turned loose on the beach and must make their way to the water. This journey takes the babies 20 minutes to 45 minutes. This journey is necessary to imprint the beach in their memory. The females will come back to this beach to nest when they are mature enough. The males do not return to shore, they live their whole life in the water. Park personnel and volunteers will hold nets over the babies as they make their way across the sand. Once in the water poles with flags are waved to keep the birds from having an easy buffet.
I have attended two releases and hope to attend another one this year. There is something about standing in a crowd of 100 plus people all there to cheer on these little turtles. Cheers erupt when the first baby enters the water, and no one leaves until the last has entered the waves. The cheers for the last is as loud as the cheers for the first. I have been changed by witnessing the releases and have commemorated the experience in some of my artwork.
I hope to Sea you at the Beach soon!