Embarking on the adventure: (dial-up warning)

With all the bad news recently, I just thought I'd share some photos of a Kemp's ridley hatchling release from a couple of days ago. The Kemp's ridley sea turtles are critically endangered. I volunteer with the restoration project at Padre Island National Seashore.

You can see the whole set I took (one-handed, for the most part, after all, I was there to work, not to take photos) at http://www.flickr.com/photos/qnr/sets/72157620421680453/

Here are some small samples:

Those are great pictures.

What is the survival rate of these?

introduction of TED (Turtle Exclusion Devices) on shrimp boats, things have improved vastly over the last few years.

Here's a link to how they've picked up at Padre Island: http://www.nps.gov/pais/naturescience/kridley.htm

I heard about this a few days ago, love it! (conservatives are complaining about it. I hope it gets funded)
http://www.lakejacksonturtles.org/index.html

"The 13-foot tunnel under U.S. Rte. 27 in Lake Jackson, Fla., -- you might call it the Turtle Tunnel because its primarily designed for turtles that are frequently killed as they cross the highway -- is one of 100 stimulus projects targeted in a report released Tuesday"

**When I was in Irving Texas visiting a park, I witnessed from across a river 3 turtles repeatedly climbing up a very large rock approx. 15ft, jumping off and then appearing at the other end and climbing up again and jumping off... I swear, it was one of the most amazing things, wish I had a movie camera with me...

love to complain about projects such as that one in Lake Jackson. I hope it gets funded too.

I Know just what you mean - there is a golf course that I regularly pass on my bicycle rides. There are some diamondback terrapins that are constantly amusing me with their antics.

It hurts! :o

Thanks qnr.

Did you know the guy those little critters are named for is buried in the Key West cemetery?

It has a turtle etched into the stone. Very cool.