Thanks, Bill. And I wanted to be careful not to spook her, so couldn't really get in front of her. Would have been a good time for the telephoto! We love that within five miles of us in either direction we have the Viera Wetlands and this great stretch of beach. We like to walk for exercise, and at either of these places there is always something new to see!

Yes - it is a special blessing of sorts to be a witness to such wonders!

Thanks for looking, Jerry and Angler. Life is amazing!

We encountered her shortly after she had started digging and it was another 30 minutes before she was done. Not a fast process! She definitely is not designed to move around on land! The poor thing seemed exhausted by the time she headed back in to the ocean.

There are very limited flights into Jackson (it is a challenging airport and I have read that it takes extra training to be certified to land there), so the prices are always high. Many people fly elsewhere and rent a car. Billings, Montana puts you "near" the East Gate of Yellowstone but many people fly in to Salt Lake or Denver. We flew into Jackson years ago, but I used frequent flier miles, because it was very expensive - about $600 as I recall.

Nice photo - clear and sharp and very peaceful.

Beautiful!

Wow!

Sea turtles have nested in record numbers along Florida's Atlantic Coast over the past several years, and this is in no small measure due to efforts to protect nests, eliminate lights shining on beaches, and to use turtle-excluding technology in fishing nets. The lack of hurricanes which destroys many nests has been good news as well. It is very rare to see the nesting activity because these turtles generally nest in the middle of the night. But if nature calls, apparently it is hard to resist. Yesterday evening my wife and I went for a walk on the nearby beach and were shocked and pleasantly surprised to see a loggerhead laying her eggs! I did have my cell phone with me, so we were able to catch the activity. This is the beach adjacent to Patrick Air Force Base, which is wonderfully underutilized and great for the turtles because there are no hotels, condos, etc. The beach here is covered with turtle tracks, indicating another good year for these creatures!

In the first photo you can see her throwing up sand as she is digging the hole for her eggs.

Fresh turtle tracks - and a turtle!


Once she starts laying, you can quietly walk up behind her to observe.




Round trip


Back to the sea!

Very nice set - and thanks for introducing us to this little-known beautiful part of the US!

Beautiful photos!

Well captured!

Very nice set. I grew up in Kansas - your photos bring back memories. I like the B&W.

Beautiful photo! How can you not love these pesky creatures?

Great photos! It is so much fun to watch.