Dawn of the Turtle

 Despite getting to bed late I woke up to my 5:30AM alarm hopeful to see a notice saying there would be a hatchling release this morning. I was just about to give up hope when the post popped up exactly one hour before release at 5:45AM. I hurriedly jumped out of bed and got everyone up and dressed and drove a few minutes up the road to the beach access point where the release was to take place. It was so cool to get to watch 147 of the little ones run to the sea.Sea Turtle Inc. is the conservation organization that helps rescue, rehab, care for, and protect the Kemps Ridley sea turtles that nest on South Padre Island as well as other species that need care. They have a  facility that we were able to visit later in the morning and see their residents that cannot return to the sea as well as the turtles they are rehabbing. A lot of those turtles come from the rocks in the jetties around Bocca Chica. The turtles go to feed on the algae on the jetty and then the tide changes trapping and battering them and wedging them in the rocks. That’s where Sea Turtle Inc. comes in. They rescue these little friends, get them back on their flippers, and back out in the big ocean. 

After the sea turtle release I put some sand from Hug Point on the same beach and then we headed back to the hotel for breakfast and to clean up and pack up for the trip back to Houston with a stop at the alligator sanctuary and of course the aforementioned Sea Turtle Inc. 

Sam and Bryson said it was just too early to get up. 

Due to the surf and venomous creatures no beach time for me. 

Sam and Bryson found a friend.