Tiny Tracks

I spotted them on the second day -- light marks in the sand about two inches wide. At first I assumed they were sand crabs, and wondered why so many sand crabs had been out overnight and why they had all run in the same direction. Later that day I was inside, writing an email about how bummed I was that I wouldn't see hatchlings, when it suddenly hit me what the marks were. I ran outside with a camera and had a closer look. Sure enough, they weren't crab tracks. They were miniature versions of the big tracks. Hatching started about three weeks before our arrival, according to one of the turtle patrol guys.

I've used my flip flop (size 8) for size reference. Here's a newly hatched nest from the night before.



This photo shows a single track of a baby that ran along a tire mark. You can see the little alternating flipper marks. Notice that this tire track is the same size as the tire marks in the previous blog entry.



And here's a shot that shows baby tracks with adult tracks, for size contrast.



It was obvious the babies were tinier than I realized. After the second night I spent a lot of time trying to see hatchlings. Apparently they are much harder to spot than adults. They're tiny and have cryptic coloring, and they move pretty quick. I read that baby turtles have about 45 minutes to make it to the sea before they get dehydrated. For three nights I looked, wandering over the dry sand where the high nests were, as well as by the waterline. No luck. On the last night I stayed out longer than I intended, and walked several miles along the beach. I thought, I'll just go along this dark stretch of sand here and then I'll go home and throw in the towel. A loggerhead had come up and was cresting the dune. I walked slowly behind her. And that's when I saw them. Several dozen tiny little disks, all the same size, scattered on the hard sand, pausing then skedaddling toward the water. It took me a minute to realize what they were, and when I did, I gasped out loud. "Oh my God! You guys are so cute!!" This apparently startled the big turtle behind me, who heaved her massive carapace back over the dune and slipped back into the water. I felt bad for a moment, then turned my attention back to the little ones. They were disappearing quick. Those little guys can move. Each little turtle had a shell about the size of a Nilla wafer, tiny yet disproportionately large flippers, and a tiny head with big black dots for eyes. All the better to see in the dark. I picked up one tiny turtle between my thumb and forefinger just to prove to myself that it was real. The underbelly was brown, like the top. Loggerhead. The turtle twisted its little head and flippers. I gently turned it back over and set it down, then watched it run to the water's edge. A few laps of seafoam and the baby floated away like a tiny leaf. In five minutes, all the babies were gone. I decided to look for the opening of the nest to see if anyone was still there, but I couldn't find it. There didn't seem to be any lost hatchlings either. Seeing those tiny turtles make it into the water was the highlight of the whole trip.

I couldn't take pictures of hatchlings at night, but some people are lucky enough to get daytime photos. Check out these hatchling photos taken by a turtle patrol volunteer in South Carolina.



From looking at tracks, it seemed as if hatchlings that had emerged close to the water were better off in terms of navigation. These little guys all went the right way.



Further from the water, I saw a lot more of this: tracks going every which way. These little guys were lost. I wonder if apartment lights left on by careless residents screwed them up.



If you're interested in seeing the turtles for yourself, you should think about taking a guided walk. There are many organizations offering these walks along both coasts of Florida, as well as other coastal areas of the Southeastern US. I joined a walk led by the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, which is based in Melbourne Beach. The volunteers were knowledgeable and well trained, and they teach people how to observe turtles while disturbing them as little as possible. The tour guides also have permission to open a loggerhead nest while she is laying eggs, so that visitors can watch the eggs being deposited. It was an amazing experience and I highly recommend it.

Finally, I leave you with a photo of the turtle hunter herself, who was coaxed and cajoled to actually go out on the beach in daylight hours every now and then.