Jocelyn's Turtle Log
NOTE: Place your curser on each photo to get
the photo caption.
© Earthwatch / Jocelyn Hubbell
Day 1 – March 16, 2005
Eighty degree hot, humid air, and the palm trees in
the airport courtyard confirmed that I had left the northern
temperate region of Maine far behind. I quickly changed out
my sweater for a sleeveless shirt then went to meet Tony Tucker,
principal biologist, and the rest of the Endangered Sea Turtle
Research Team at our rendezvous. Introductions were made all
around. We are a diverse crew, ranging in age from 19 to 78
years and include an artist, a college student, a retired
ophthalmologist assistant, two educators, and two scientists.
We come from Washington, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Georgia,
Florida, Maryland, and Maine.
We all piled into the Mote Marine Laboratory van and were
given a tour and introduction to Pine Island ecology by Dr.
Tucker. The hurricane damage is obvious and extensive. We
visited the site of the ocean-side Pine Island Turtle Lab,
research vessel launch, and team accommodations, now sand
and rubble from one of last summer’s hurricane Charlie,
before settling in at the temporary accommodations being used
until the lab is rebuilt.
After dinner Tony gave us a great introduction to the lives
and life histories of sea turtles and prepared us for tomorrow’s
field work.
 Day
2 – March 17, 2005
Pouring rain greeted the team this morning
along with a great egret that walked right up to our screened
porch and stood within three feet peering at us during breakfast!
Despite the rain, we prepared the gear, launched the boats
and brought them dockside in the canal behind the house, and
made ready for on-water surveys with high hopes for a clear
afternoon.
Heavy rain kept us and the “Myakka” (a 17-foot
jon boat used as the net boat) and the “Anna B”
( a 25-foot Proline used as the lookout boat) on hold. Tony
and fellow turtle biologist Dr. Jeff Schmid took advantage
of the rainy day by providing us with more turtle biology
and background information about their research.
Some interesting facts from today’s learning sessions
are:
1. The incubation temperature of turtle eggs determines
the sex of the hatchling; warm temperatures produce females,
cool temperatures produce males
2. Sea turtles come back to their place of birth to nest,
some from wanderings of thousands of miles away
3. Only 1 in 1,000 turtles will survive to adulthood
4. Sea turtles are long-lived, and can reach 80 to 100 years
of age
 Day
3 – March 18, 2005
Morning dawned with a glorious sunrise. The
team was up by 7:00 a.m. and excited by the prospect of finally
getting out on the water to net turtles. The Myakka and Anna
B were equipped by 8:00 a.m. The task made all the more enjoyable
by a visit from three great egrets and a wood stork. We were
intrigued by their boldness and apparent mistaken impression
that we were fishermen with bait to share.
Once loaded, the boats and team made way through the maze
of Pine Island canals to Pine Island Sound. The man-made canals
provide a highway for boats that here are as common as cars.
Brown pelicans, great egrets, and great blue herons flew and
rested along the canal, while osprey soared above. Eventually
the canal gave way to the mangroves and Pine Island Sound.
In Pine Island Sound the Anna B leads and provides a wake
ride for the smaller Myakka, which is unable to negotiate
large waves  comfortably
at cruising speed. The Myakka is our net boat. She carries
the 200 yard by 4 yard net that we will “set”
to catch turtles. The net mesh is made of 6-inch wide string
squares that run vertically point to point, resembling the
pattern of an argyle sweater. Each 6-inch square is designed
to stretch to 12 inches to allow fishes and other small marine
animals to escape, yet still entangle turtles. Running the
length of the top of the net is a “float” or “cork”
line, a foam-filled rope that provides buoyancy to the top
of the net. A “lead” line, which as the name implies
is a lead-filled rope, runs the length of the bottom of the
net. It assures that the net bottom will sink and create a
net wall stretching from the surface of the water to a depth
of 12 feet. The Myakka also carries 14 orange, bullet-shaped
buoys. These are clipped one-at-a-time to the float line at
15-foot intervals as the net is deployed. The bullet buoys
provide additional flotation to the cork line, warn boaters
to stay away from the net, and help to alert us if an animal
is caught in the net. The buoys lie on their sides when the
net is slack. When an animal becomes entangled, the buoys
on either side of the captured animal will bob and be pulled
into an upright position as the animal struggles to fee itself.
Two large, round, red buoys are used to mark the ends of the
net; one at each end. Two anchors, one at either end, will
hold the set net in place. A round, white buoy with dive flag
is used to mark the center of the net. Also aboard the Myakka
are a depth sounder and compass, a GPS unit, a net hook for
grabbing the net, and a large hand-net for removing turtles
from the set net.
 The
Anna B is the spotting boat. She is much larger than the Myakka
and hauls all the team’s personal gear, our lunches
and water, and the turtle measurement and tagging tools. Team
members aboard the Anna B keep vigilant lookout for the “three
marine mammals”: dolphins, manatees, and humans in speeding
boats; all of whom we do not want to catch in our net!
By 9:30 a.m. we arrived at our net setting site. Dolphins
repeatedly surfaced and circled the area. Though exciting
to see, they are very hard to get out of a net and their presence
kept us from setting the net for the next hour. This time
was not wasted however. Tony gave us a review of the boat
safety procedures, set net deployment, and survey techniques.
 By
10:30 I transferred from the Anna B to the Myakka with expedition
volunteer Aubra Shepard, fellow educator Briana Brown and
principal scientist Dr. Tony Tucker. We set the net at a 45
degree angle to the wind. First, one of the two net anchors
was dropped to snag into the bottom. Then one red buoy was
clipped to the top of the anchor line where it meets the net
“bridle” (a line that attaches both the top and
bottom of the net to the anchor line.) Aubra and I then deployed
the cork line and clipped the bullet buoys at 15-foot intervals
while Briana deployed the heavy lead line over the starboard
side of the skiff. After the last anchor was placed, we patrolled
the net continuously for the next two hours. At 15-minute
intervals, one of us would “walk” the net. The
net walker would move to the small, flat bow deck and, starting
at one end and working the entire length of the net, pull
the net partway out of the water to check for turtles and
any other captured animals. The first net walk was uneventful.
Successive passes produced a total of six cow nose rays. Great
care was taken while removing them from the net so that they
were not harmed and their poison-filled tail barb would not
strike any of us. Each was released back into the sound immediately.
After two hours, we pulled and stowed the net and headed to
the Anna B for a well earned lunch break. After lunch, I again
boarded the Myakka, this time with expedition volunteers Anita
Corliss and  Henry
Greenewalt, and turtle researcher Dr. Jeff Schmid. We tended
and walked the nets for three hours. Our net walks yielded
a cow nose ray and a five-foot long bull shark. Each was carefully
brought aboard the Myakka for detangling from the net, and
then released. Even though we did not catch any turtles by
the time we pulled the net, we all felt rewarded to have learned
the net setting and walking skills, to have seen the rays,
shark, and dolphins, and to have spent our first day on the
water.
Day 4 – March 19, 2005
This morning we fell into our boat loading routine like old
sea hands. The Myakka and Anna B were ship shape and ready
to go by 8:00 a.m. Each morning we are awake by 7:00 a.m.,
make our breakfasts, fill the lunch cooler, fill water bottles,
and boil water for the precautionary “stingray”
thermos. If a team member is stung by the sharp tail barbs
of a ray, the hot water would be poured over the sting to
denature the protein and reduce its toxic effect. Tony and
Jeff take great care when we bring aboard a net section with
a ray. Each is adept at quickly untangling the animals and
returning them to the water.
Our ride through the canal brought us more bird sightings:
osprey, terns, a little blue heron, great egrets, yellow-crowned
night herons, turkey vultures, and pelicans. Out in Pine Island
Sound I spotted, and called the team’s attention to,
a bald eagle perched high on a power pole. It was thrilling
to see this powerful raptor, and we all took it as a good
sign of what the day had in store for us.
I assisted in the lookout boat for the morning watch with
Aubra and Dr. Jeff. We were free and clear of dolphins, but
pelicans were plentiful and actively feeding around the boat.
It was hard not to get distracted from our marine mammal lookout
duties when several pelicans dove within ten feet of us! Jeff’s
good eye caught site of the first Kemp’s ridley of the
day at 9:50 a.m. just north of were the set net had been  deployed.
A second sighting was called out at 11:55 a.m., again north
of the net. Meanwhile, the net boat crew walked the net every
15 minutes in hope of catching one of the turtles we spotted.
Instead, they caught an eagle ray (female with a 2-foot “wingspan”
measuring pectoral fin to pectoral fin tip) and a small black-tipped
shark.
The boat crews rotated after lunch. Henry worked a second
shift aboard the net boat and was joined by Aubra, Jeff, and
me.
We set the net and waited for the first tell-tale signs of
a tangled animal: an abnormal bobbing of a buoy, buoys pulled
upright, or the most welcome sign – splashing and a
flipper sighting at the surface. At 15-minute intervals we
walked the net, rotating the walker each time. In between
walks, we let the boat drift by the net and kept watch for
turtles and marine mammals. Dr. Jeff also entertained us with
two ridley turtle songs he composed for children. Briana and
I will be teaching them to the children of Rhode Island and
Maine when we return from this adventure.
Later in the afternoon, Henry and Jeff switched out of the
Myakka and Briana and Tony switched in. Our afternoon efforts
yielded two cow nose rays and a large male eagle ray, measuring
over three feet in wingspan. Eagle rays are stunning creatures
both above and below water. They are sleek and beautiful,
and graceful swimmers. Their eyes have a vertically elongated
pupil, resembling a cat’s eye. Their snout is reminiscent
of a foreshortened duck’s bill. Their back, or dorsal
surface, is a deep brownish-black with white spots. Their
underside, or ventral surface, is white. This dark-on-the-back,
white-on-the-belly coloration is known as counter shading.
It serves to camouflage the animal against the water’s
surface when viewed from below, and against the dark depths
of the ocean when viewed from above.
Though disappointed that we did not catch any turtles, we
were happy for the two sightings, now data points on the research
map, and for another amazing day on the water.
Day 5 – March 20, 2005
This morning I went for an early run around the neighborhood
to give my legs some much needed aerobic exercise. The net
setting, walking, and especially pulling is great exercise,
but it tends to be mostly an upper body workout. My legs were
itchy for a challenge, so off I went to explore the neighborhood
that as of yet I had only glimpsed by boat. The neighborhood
gives way to mangroves and marshes on one side and homes lining
cul-de-sac streets on the other. Several dogs announced my
presence as did two wary mallards in the marsh. One kind,
well-bundled gentleman exclaimed “Aren’t you cold?”
in question of my shorts, sleeveless shirt, and Tevas for
running in the already 60 degree morning. I chuckled to myself
and replied, “No, I heat up fast once I get going,”
thinking it best not to launch a discussion of my Maine running
habits and cold tolerance.
Once back at the expedition house, I quickly showered, breakfasted,
and joined the team in morning preparations. I noticed a fisherman
in the canal as I was loading the Myakka. He was repeatedly
casting and pulling in a small throw-net. I gave a hello and
 struck
up a conversation. He explained that he had heard that pin
fish - also known as sugar bream (Lagodon rhomboides)
were in the canals but he had been unsuccessful thus far.
Tony asked if he had seen any turtles out in the sound lately.
The fisherman said that he used to see lots of them as a boy,
but that he had not seen very many over the last several years.
He lamented that the fishing had changed since the increase
of people, homes, and boats in the area.
Everyday we notice more details along the canals. There is
so much to take in. The tightly spaced homes, multitude of
boats, yard ornaments, plants, and the ever-present egrets
and osprey. Today a little blue heron deftly tiptoed along
a line of oysters that clung to the side of the canal. It
reminded me of a carefully choreographed tight-rope walking
act. I am beginning to be able to identify some of the trees
by sight: the salt tolerant red mangrove trees which were
called the “walking trees” by Florida’s
native  Indians
because of their progressive, arching root system, the coconut
palm, royal palm, and the sabal or “cabbage” palm
which is Florida’s state tree. I recognize some plants
growing outdoors here that would be considered houseplants
or annuals in Maine: rose hibiscus, snake tongue (also known
as mother-in-law tongue), and vinca.
The net was set by 9:30 a.m., tended for two hours then reset
after lunch. We moved just north of Regla Island and reset
in 7.2 feet of water at 2:30 p.m. Here we tended for three
more hours. Our day yielded two cow nose rays, an eagle ray,
and a spider crab – considered good eating by ridleys!
Yet we neither spotted nor netted turtles. We have learned
however, that documenting absence is just as important as
documenting presence. Our data will help, over time and combined
with other types of turtle monitoring and study techniques,
to document the habitat use of the area. We have also learned
that biologists need to be very methodical, patient, and constantly
alert. All in all, a very interesting day.
Day 6 – March 21, 2005
The Solstice greeted us with fair skies and a beautiful sunrise.
We loaded the boats and set out for the sound. The Monroe
canal has become a familiar waterway and we now know where
to look for the different birds that greet us on our morning
commute. Their daily activities have become a part of our
lives and we miss them if they do not pay a visit. Every morning
we note the osprey nests and check to see if an adult is setting
the nest with its pair on lookout near by, or setting solo.
Pelicans like to roost on the top of pilings, many of which
have been capped with plastic covers, resembling in shape
the point of a crayon, by people who do not want to have to
clean bird droppings from their docks. I have noticed that
at most docks people tend to leave one or two pilings un-capped
(generally those furthest out in the water) for the birds
to roost upon.
 This
morning we stopped by the local hardware store / boat launch,
owned by Bob – a colorful local character who provides
the boaters and fishermen with maps, hardware, boat supplies,
fishing advice, and, from the looks of him, I’d say
he could have spun us a yarn or two had we the time. But,
we were there to get ice for our cooler and had a date with
the turtles. We did find a few moments to play with a mangrove
crab that was found on the dock. I snapped a picture of Briana
blowing it a kiss before we let it go.
We set the net a bit north of Regla Island. During one of
the walks, Aubra cried out “snake.” I quickly
stashed my journal and went to the bow to assist, all excited
to be seeing a new creature in our net. Tony was at the bow
in a flash too. As Aubra carefully pulled the webbing up to
bring the snake on deck, we realized that the “snake”
was in fact a string of whelk egg cases – an 18-inch
long stand of opaque, flattened ovals ranging in diameter
from 1-1/4 to 1/8 inch. Within each egg case were pen-point
size eggs, about a dozen in each. After we shared our find
all the members of our team and snapped a few photos, we set
it adrift, as it should be, in the sound.
Briana, aboard the Anna B and working as a lookout, called
out a turtle sighting during the morning watch. She saw a
Kemp’s ridley about 30 feet off the port (left). She
saw the characteristic small, light head pop up out of the
water as the turtle took a breath. Since it was facing her
in a vertical stance, she could also see the light plastron
(underside or ventral side) and the elongated and flattened
forelimbs – the flippers. It was only at the surface
momentarily, and then dove. As it descended, Briana saw the
domed, light-brown carapace (back or dorsal surface) which
she estimated to be a bit larger in size than the average
dinner plate. She could also see all four flippers as it paddled
away. Though this turtle did not swim into our net, her sighting
will become another data point on the research map.
The wind picked up throughout the morning making it difficult
to set the net with the appropriate amount of slack. A tight
net allows the turtles to bounce out of the net. A slack net
will wrap and entangle the turtle as it tries to get away.
While walking the net we only saw one cow nose ray, and it
glided by. We are starting to make jokes about the various
sea grasses and weed that we seem to be good at catching and
must shake from the net during the walk. Turtle grass has
flat, broad blades and when held up to the sunlight shows
stripes of individual rectangles stacked end to end. I wonder
if we are really seeing the cell walls of this plant. Manatee
grass is very slender and round stemmed. It usually comes
up with its roots attached. The most prevalent sea weed we
are snaring is very glossy and opaque, with colors ranging
from almost clear to light tan-orange.
The water is not the clear blue that one expects in southern
oceans, but a tan-brown from the tannins washed in from the
soil, and due to the erosion caused by last summer’s
hurricane Charlie. We have not taken any secci-disk readings
(a black & white plastic disk that is lowered into the
water, via a depth-marked rope, to determine visibility) but
I’d say we have had on average only four foot visibility,
and murky at that. The combination of murkiness and caught
seaweed leads to what we call “ghost turtles”
– a momentary adrenalin rush felt upon thinking “I’ve
a turtle” (which we have learned to refrain from blurting
out right away) and dispelled upon pulling up the webbing
to find a mass of seaweed waving in the tide.
At lunchtime the wind was continuing to increase. Instead
of anchoring in exposed water we found a bit of a sheltered
spot near one of the small islands know as a key. A pair of
dolphins followed us in and stayed within 25 feet of our port
side for about half an hour. Tony and Jeff discussed the wind
conditions, current, increasing white caps and wave heights,
and scouted the map for a new location. We all put our foul
weather gear on and headed out to check our options. Two sights
were scouted, both a wash due to the wind and choppy sea.
Tony and Jeff alerted the team that we had been foiled by
the weather and they were going to call it a day. Even though
we once again did not net a turtle, and the weather had been
unfavorable, we were happy to be out on the water to enjoy
a day of fresh air, camaraderie, and wildlife.
 The
boats were ship-shape and gear stowed by 4:00 p.m. We took
advantage of our time by going for a walk through the neighborhood
and found a nature trail, just down the block from our house,
into the mangroves. The St. Jude Nature Trail, maintained
by The Calusa Land Trust & Nature Preserve of Pine Island,
Inc., provided a brief introduction into the plants and animals
of the area through the trail-side interpretive signs and
plant tags. A boardwalk and wooden overlook marked the terminus
at water’s edge and the turn around point of the trail.
We enjoyed the leisurely half-hour of exploring and spotted
hermit crab holes, watched numerous mangrove crabs and small
lizards skitter along the branches of the white mangrove trees,
and marveled at the flowers in bloom.
Dinner was declared “left-over” night and we
made a great meal by cleaning out the refrigerator. Jeff treated
us to two more of his wonderful turtle talks: Turtle Diseases
& Treatment and Anthropomorphic Impacts (manmade or human-caused
impacts to sea turtles). He provided us with the latest information
about fibropapilomas – a viral infection that is seen
most commonly in green turtles. Then he discussed human impacts
on turtles since the 1800’s. The turtle soup industry
had a huge impact (mostly green turtles) in the early days
along with the harvesting of hawksbill turtles for their “tortoise
shell” for the making of hair combs and fashionable
accessories. Present day impacts include the commercial fishing
industry, which through its fishing techniques still catches
turtles (known as by catch). The introduction of TEDs (Turtle
Excluder Devices) has helped to reduce the numbers of turtles
caught in trawl nets. Recreational fishermen, boaters, beach
goers, and those that build their homes near beaches all have
an impact on turtles. All of us need to learn more about the
animals whose habitats we share, no matter where we live,
so we can all be better stewards and enjoy the great diversity
of life that is on this earth.
Day 7 – March 22, 2005
Today was our designated day to play and be free from field
work. We were able to sleep in and get on the road to Sarasota
by 8:30 a.m. By 9:30 we were on I-75 along an undeveloped
area, between the east side of Oscar
Scherer State Park and the South-west section of Myakka
River State Park, crossing the scrub plains, home of the
gopher tortoise, scrub jay, and the crested
caracara. It was nice to see this respite from the mass
of new, cookie-cutter developments of look-a-like homes and
shopping plazas. I found myself wondering why homes and plazas
throughout our country are not built in a way that reflects
the unique cultural and natural history of the area, each
building unique and fitting within its surroundings, helping
to tell the story of the area, yet with a priority on the
economy of natural resources and preservation of neighborhood
parks and wildlands. And yes, I know the answer is monetary,
that it is cheaper to build cookie-cutter style; cheaper in
the short term. But so much more costly in the long term when
one considers the impacts of poorly planned development: boringly
repetitive house and building design, loss of the unique neighborhood
or community, over-emphasis on lawns, loss of natural lands
to play, walk, explore and relax upon, over-emphasis on driving,
traffic congestion, loss of wildlands and potential parklands,
degradation of waterways and traditional wildlife migration
corridors, and thus the long-term loss of quality of
life and health for both us and our brethren (animals &
plants) that share this Earth. I sat pondering this for quite
some time…saddened to have seen this in other parts
of the U.S. too, knowing that it is happening worldwide…
hoping that this journey to the turtles had in some small
way helped to negate some of the consequences of our species’
short-term thinking.
 Our
destination was the Mote Marine
Laboratory & Mote Aquarium in Sarasota. Tony took
us on a tour of the Mote offices, introduced us to his fellow
scientists, showed us his collection of books, and then pointed
us in the direction of the aquarium. Here we were able
to see a green, a ridley, and several loggerheads up close.
The turtles that come into Mote are usually rehabilitated
and released. The turtles on exhibit are kept at Mote due
to injuries or behaviors (i.e. a life in captivity that creates
dependency on humans for feeding) that prevent them from being
released to the wild. Though it was interesting to see the
turtles up close, I lamented that they would never  experience
their lives as they were meant to be – as free wanderers
of the ocean.
Near the turtle exhibits was a replica TED (Turtle Excluder
Device – used on commercial shrimp trawlers to provide
sea turtles with an escape hatch from the trawler nets yet
allow most of the shrimp to be caught in a sack-like net at
the end.) Visitors are encouraged to crawl through the TED
to get a hands-on experience in how they work. We all crawled
through, much to the delight of staring childre n
who had been, up until then, the almost exclusive TED adventurers.
There were many other marine exhibits. Among them were manatees,
a preserved giant squid, a variety of fishes, a touch tank,
coral reefs, hermit crabs, baby octopus -a microscope live
view via computer monitor (the babies flit about in such a
jittery way that we joked that they looked liked victims of
caffeine), and a shark movie that creatively cast the viewers
as the shark.
 The
cuttlefish, sea horses and jellyfish were my favorites. Across
the street from the aquarium I spotted and snapped a quick photo
of Mote’s Eugenie Clark, a boat named in honor of world-renowned
ichthyologist and shark researcher Dr.
Eugenie Clark .I have added her book The Lady and the
Sharks to my must read list.
After a late lunch at the sea-side Salty Dog, Tony dropped
us off at the John & Mable
Ringling Museum of Art so we could view the Ansel Adams
& Clyde Butcher photography exhibit. I am a fan of black
and white photography and have long admired the work of Ansel
Adams. I saw here, for the first time, some of his portraiture
and non-landscape photography. I was taken by a photo he composed
of Edwin Land (inventor of the Polaroid Land Camera) that
was on loan from the George Eastman (founder of Kodak) collection
and a simple yet elegant shot of wooden door. Clyde Butcher’s
photography was on the grand scale. Reproduced large format,
each at least four by six feet or larger, giving the impression
that you could walk right in and be a part of the landscape.
Given our limited time, we could hardly see all the other
exhibits. I decided to spend the rest of mine meandering the
sculpture gardens and enjoying the gloriously warm afternoon.
A gracious visitor took this photo of us at the turtle fountain.
Our evening was spent devouring the best take-out pizza I
have ever had the pleasure to eat, and playing a round of
“celebrity” – a very amusing and creative
game that Briana introduced to us. Then I was off to bed,
happy, exhausted, well-fed, to dream of turtles.
Day 8 – March 23, 2005
This our last day on the water and the weather was not favorable.
The morning reports warned of a severe front moving in from
the north-west: high winds, approaching thunderstorms with
predicted cloud to land lightening, and a tornado warning
to boot! All predicted to start in the early afternoon. Wary
but undaunted we proceeded in good spirits. Our great egret
friend, “Chaz”, appeared while we were loading
the boats. Ever hopeful that we might indulge his hunger,
I’m sure. During our ride down the Monroe Canal we spotted:
a mature bald eagle, a black-crowned night heron, great blue
herons, laughing gulls, great egrets, mocking birds, osprey,
and pelicans. Jeff pointed out the paper bark tree(Melaleuca
quinquenervia) an invasive tree from Australia, and
the gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba) or “tourist
tree” so called because the bark is the deep red of
a sunburned tourist. This tree is also known commonly as the
torchwood and as dysentery bark due to the historical use
of its bark to sooth stomach cramps. Others call it the living
fence post because a fresh-cut limb set into the ground as
a fencepost will grow a new tree. Jeff suggested a good plant-related
read, Nature and the English Diaspora by Thomas Dunlap,
an account of the environment and history in the United States,
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
 Out
on the sound we were treated to the sighting of an albatross,
royal terns, cormorants, and a frigate bird. The albatross
was all the more wonderful to see as I had started to read,
and become fully engrossed in, Tony’s copy of Eye
of the Albatross by Carl Safina during yesterday’s
ride back from Sarasota. This albatross caused me to recall
some amazing facts: albatross have the largest wingspans of
any birds – the wandering and royals can reach over
eleven feet wingtip to wingtip, albatross sleep on the wing,
they can live past sixty years of age, their annual flights
equal the distance of flying three times around the earth
at the Earth’s equator…
We cruised slowly by the now familiar osprey nest on the
“Resume Normal Safe  Operation”
sign, skirted the MacKeever Keys side of Chino Island, and
made our way north along Regla Island. Anita, Aubra and I
began deploying the net at 9:10 a.m. in eight feet of water
reading 72 degrees, but had to suspend our work within ten
minutes due to a dolphin sighting. We sat quietly alert for
fifteen minutes before being given the all clear to resume
setting the net. Every twenty minutes there after we sighted
dolphins. Luckily, none came close enough to stop our work.
We completed three net walks that yielded only sea weed (Sargassum
sp.) and a plastic shopping bag. The bag was a good, though
distressing, catch. Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags
and balloons for jelly fish. When ingested, they do not break
down readily, provide no nutritional value, and can create
a lethal intestinal blockage.
At 10:40 a.m. we switched crew, Briana and Henry joining
Tony and I on the Myakka while Anita and Aubra joined Jeff
on the Anna B., and began watching the sky intently. A long
bank of clouds, stretching east and west as far as the eye
could see, was moving in on us. The cumulous clouds were building
to cumulous-nimbus; a sign that severe weather was on its
way. Briana got the last walk of the day. By 11:00 we were
pulling in the net and buoys as fast as we could; the day
scratched by the in-coming storm.
 We
made a speedy retreat off the ocean to the protected water
of the Monroe Canal.
But we were still light-hearted and in the mood for fun. Several
of our team posed with the leatherback turtle puppet I purchased
yesterday at Mote as a mascot for our team and teaching tool
for my turtle programs in Maine.
Along the canal we spotted a cormorant that had caught a
fish with hook and two feet of line still in the fish’s
mouth. There was nothing for us to do but watch the bird carry
it off with our hopes that it would not swallow this catch.
 The
boats were unloaded under a grey and imposing sky. The Anna
B. was piloted to the launch near Bob's hardware store and
pulled from the water. We had a quick lunch then set to cleaning
the net and all equipment. Thunder rolled in with flashes
of lightening as we were completing our task. The sky opened
with an impressive downpour just as we scurried to the house.
We spent our last evening together having a special dinner
out at a local seafood restaurant. A quiet awkwardness was
starting to impart itself on the group as we each began to
realize that the adventure was ending and thought of the responsibilities
we had left behind. We talked about what we were thinking,
and it lightened the mood and our minds. After dinner and
back at the “Mote L”, as I have dubbed our house,
we settled in to another rousing round of “celebrity”
before calling it a night. |
