Loggerhead Sea Turtle Release

Those who have followed along on my wildlife adventures, might remember that I have a connection to Sanibel Island.  My husband’s parents introduced me to it years ago and it has become a home away from home.

It’s been a couple years since I’ve been able to go, and I couldn’t wait to get back with my camera. It’s a routine for me to get up in the morning and walk the beach just after sunrise, because the stillness of the world at that time of day and the softness of the light, makes it one of the best times for wildlife watching.

On our second day in, I almost didn’t take my morning walk because David had twisted his knee a bit and had decided to rest a day and you know .. . I thought, “if he isn’t going” . . . any old excuse to sleep in a bit.

But he encouraged me to go. So we made plans for me to walk the beach, then on to one of our favorite breakfast places, where he’d meet up with me. It was a half mile to the beach from Periwinkle Park Sanibel, two miles to the Sanibel Lighthouse and another half mile to a little restaurant for breakfast.

On the way, I got teary several times with all the beauty and wildlife around me . . . . ospreys feeding chicks, herons wading, a little banded Snowy Plover (Endangered! More on it later), a type of heron I’d never seen before (research needed), dolphins, more osprey, and shells galore! My heart was full.

And then, I saw a crowd on the beach up ahead. A news crew was there. People were smiling, nodding, and at the center of it all, an actual Loggerhead Sea Turtle! *GASP*

I’m such a nature geek . . . you all know that . . . I ran to join the group and waded into knee deep water with my 500mm lens and camera bag . . .

and to witness CROW – Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. release this gorgeous creature back into the wild. it was such a humbling experience!

The turtle was a female, who was suffering from red tide poisoning and loggerhead anemia poisoning. Congratulations CROW on a successful rehabilitation!

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