Leatherback Hatchlings
With the first post to my new blog I have a couple of goals. The first is to dive right in and begin sharing my adventures in coastal South Carolina. The second is to see how these posts will appear in the blog layout. I've slowly been adjusting the blog to look more like I want it to, which is rather time consuming for me considering I have no experience with html code. I'm okay with it how it is now, but I have a feeling that may change as I add posts and widgets.I've been curious about nature for as long as I can remember, but there was a pivotal moment for me as a young adult that led me to pursue my curiosities as a profession today. That moment would involve our state reptile, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta). It was on Jekyll Island in Georgia, and I just happened to witness hatchling Loggerheads boiling out of the sand to begin their long (or short) journey in the Atlantic. I was silent for so long, thinking about how incredible it was that these creatures could march so fearlessly into the great unknown. Following the path of the turtles, I decided to move forward, awkwardly at first, like the turtles on the sand, toward a life of study and sharing in the world of environmental science. And so, it seems fitting that I talk about this event in my first post.
The pictures I'm sharing here are of hatchlings of the rarest kind here in South Carolina - Leatherback Sea Turtles (Dermochelys coriaea)! Again, I just happened upon the turtles, but this time during an inventory of a nest on Folly Beach in 2008. These have been taken out of the nest by hand and given a shot at surviving an improbable journey in the ocean. Here's a quick tip on identifying a Leatherback crawl - they don't alternate their flipper strokes across the sand, so the marks will be side by side, and they are known for making circles as they make their way to the surf!
I will be sharing lots of information that you will find useful in your outdoor ramblings. Always feel free to comment, ask questions, and share your knowledge as well! It is through other people that I have learned the most.
