I Love Turtles, Yes I Do!!! I Love Turtles, How About You???

SEA TURTLES...yeah, I have a problem...I LOVE Sea Turtles!!!

Last weekend my family went to the beach, more specifically the Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Surf City, Topsail Beach area of the North Carolina coast.  While we had only been there once before we quickly fell in love with the area and knew we had to go back.  

After booking our AirBnB our amazing host sent a list of some local attractions we should check out; at the very top of the list was the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.  I have had a love affair with sea turtles for quite some time, but had never had the opportunity to see any up close and personal.  Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to experience some time with them!

We just happened to visit on the first Saturday they were open for tours in 2018 and man, was it packed!  We waited in line for almost 2 hours before we actually got to see any turtles, but I'm so glad we stuck it out.  We were able to see several different stages of rehab and recovery as well as meet some of the turtles who had been cleared for release in June once the water temperature reaches 70 degrees.  Most of the turtles in the hospital were brought in due to cold stunning, but they can also be rescued if accidentally caught on a fisherman's hook or hit by a boat.  The community around the hospital is quite wonderful is bringing in any sea turtle they find in trouble.

NOAA Fisheries defines cold stunning as:

What is cold stunning?The term “cold stunning” refers to the hypothermic reaction that occurs when sea turtles are exposed to prolonged cold water temperatures. Initial symptoms include a decreased heart rate, decreased circulation, and lethargy, followed by shock, pneumonia and possibly death.

Why are sea turtles affected by cold stunning?
Sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles that depend on external sources of heat to determine their body temperature. Therefore, in cold water they do not have the ability to warm themselves, and must instead migrate to warmer waters.

Sea turtles are commonly found in waters off the Mid-Altantic and Northeast U.S. during the summer and early fall. They typically begin to migrate south by late October. It is largely unknown why some sea turtle do not migrate south prior to the drop in water temperatures. It is thought that animals foraging in shallow bays and inlets become susceptible to cold stunning because the temperatures in these areas can drop quite rapidly and unexpectedly.

We had an absolutely wonderful time learning about these incredible creatures and how they need our help.  Plastic is one of the main things that is causing harm to ocean creatures.  I made a decision at the beginning of the year to try and reduce my use of plastic and have done much better than I anticipated.  Our family began recycling; it's amazing how much less trash we now produce.  In addition, we end up emptying our recycle bin (which is the same size as our trash can) at least 2-3 times more than our actual trash can.  One of the biggest changes I made was always taking cloth reusable bags with me to the grocery store; I also try to keep a small one in my purse for the random time I may need a bag for something.  Anyway...rant over :)

Here are a few pics from the turtle hospital's web page; I am so in love with these animals and hope to be a part of rescue and release in the not too distant future :)

Rehab therapy pool                                                      Observation Ramp in Sea Turtle Bay

Of course, I had to get some turtle swag at the gift shop before leaving...I kind of went turtle crazy!
I got a set of earrings with a matching necklace, a necklace for our daughter, a wooden turtle ornament and some temporary tattoos.  I also went on to buy a t-shirt, hat and wristlet from one of those beachy souvenir shops...so yeah, I sent a little nuts with the turtle gear.  But hey, it could have been worse...at least I don't have an expensive shoe or purse obsession, so my husband doesn't mind if I splurge on cute turtley things :)

Until next time friends, have a meraki day!!!