Post from Michelle:
The hazy moon lit our way along the beach as four of us walked behind our two guides. We were in search of sea turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs in the sand. Our surroundings seemed surreal with loud crashing waves and horses running in the distance on the water's edge.
Walking for a couple hours we were losing hope of spotting a turtle. The only hints of their presence were deep trails left in the sand by turtles who had previously been there but had returned to the sea. When we almost walked the length of the beach we started heading back discouraged. But suddenly one of the guides started whispering excitedly. Down the beach there was a turtle emerging from the water! We strained our eyes trying desperately to see the dark form. We had to keep our distance and not use flashlights for fear we would scare the turtle back into the ocean. Turtles are very careful about laying their eggs. If they come ashore and feel threatened or that the beach is not safe for the eggs, they will turn around and try a different location farther down the beach. And that is exactly what this turtle did. It crawled half way up the beach and then turned around. It was now OK for us to approach it and get a better view.
The turtle was a green turtle and our guide said in six years of leading this tour he had never seen this kind of turtle on the beach. It was an exciting night for all of us. She was beautiful! We watched as our guides measured her shell (42 inches in length) and made notes. There was definitely a sense of awe in the air as she struggled to pull her large body back into the crashing waves. We stood in silence watching, thankful for the opportunity to see this grand creature.
Walking for a couple hours we were losing hope of spotting a turtle. The only hints of their presence were deep trails left in the sand by turtles who had previously been there but had returned to the sea. When we almost walked the length of the beach we started heading back discouraged. But suddenly one of the guides started whispering excitedly. Down the beach there was a turtle emerging from the water! We strained our eyes trying desperately to see the dark form. We had to keep our distance and not use flashlights for fear we would scare the turtle back into the ocean. Turtles are very careful about laying their eggs. If they come ashore and feel threatened or that the beach is not safe for the eggs, they will turn around and try a different location farther down the beach. And that is exactly what this turtle did. It crawled half way up the beach and then turned around. It was now OK for us to approach it and get a better view.
The turtle was a green turtle and our guide said in six years of leading this tour he had never seen this kind of turtle on the beach. It was an exciting night for all of us. She was beautiful! We watched as our guides measured her shell (42 inches in length) and made notes. There was definitely a sense of awe in the air as she struggled to pull her large body back into the crashing waves. We stood in silence watching, thankful for the opportunity to see this grand creature.