I got a present this morning, a suprise gift. I walk in my neighborhood regularly for exercise but live near the beach and haven't been taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the ocean air and gorgeous view right down the street. It has been my goal to walk the beach on Saturday mornings, for the last month or so. I almost didn't go this morning, it was getting late and I had things to do, but my husband Jay agreed to join me for a quick walk.
The weather has been rough for several weeks here in Indialantic, high winds and waves. We weren't sure we would have much beach to walk but found the tide just coming in. I discovered a few sea beans, early on and that always entices me to scour the sand for treasures. We are making our way through all kinds of flotsam, natural and manmade when a shape caught my eye. A little turtle shape way up near the dune. Lots of sea turtle nest had been disturbed, but this was a not an eggshell, it was a turtle. I picked it up and immediately thought it was dead, but it's tiny eye was open and the light caught a faint reflection. We rushed to turtle to the surf to wash away the dried and caked sand and Jay thought the turtle moved. The surf was too rough to consider returning the turtle to sea.
We rushed down the beach, back to our truck and drove down 3 or 4 miles to the Sea Turtle Preservation Society. I cupped the turtle in my hands protecting him from the sun. He never moved, but I could see his tiny eye, and it felt like he was alive. I carried the turtle inside and met a volunteer and explained our find. She peeked into my hands and picked up the turtle and he started to immediately move his flippers and his head.
The little loggerhead was not a hatchling, but had washed back to shore due to the offshore winds. He would have died, too exhausted to protect himself from the sun or seabirds.
What a great present this morning, a wonderful suprise.
