Too Damned High

From Jun 30, 2011

This morning on the beach I met two turtle women from Connecticut who weren't the least bit shy about the truth--which truth is why there are so few turtle nests in the usual places on North Topsail Beach.  Other turtle folks from other parts of our curious nation have played up the positive--there are 28 nests on the island--at the expense of the negative--there are too many people doing the wrong thing for females to do what they need to do in the right places. Which is to say the dunes are too high for female turtles to create their nests. As a result, there are many false crawls.  As a result, many females are digging their nests in bad places, places that are vulnerable to the tides....If the turtle hospital folk need to move a nest, then each egg must sit exactly where it sat in the previous location.  It would be much easier if the town would grade the sand it dumps in a way that was turtle friendly. It would also help if the vacationing yo-yos would remember they are not the center of the universe and fill holes on the beach, take in their toys, and douse the lights.  You are a part of a magical universe; show up and be nice.