On the morning of the day we were leaving Florida, we got to have another amazing turtle experience (another...in addition to the experience of seeing baby loggerhead sea turtles make their way to the ocean during a trip to visit Pop, Mimi and Uncle William in October 2010)...
We got to watch workers from Mote Aquarium release a Kemp's ridley sea turtle that had been in rehabilitation since 2008. The turtle's name is Johnny Vasco da Gama (after Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer), and he was rescued in the Netherlands in November of 2008 after Gulf Stream currents carried him away from his intended habitat of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Seaboard.
Jeff, Avery and Noel waiting for Johnny...
Mote Aquarium scientists (?) preparing for the release...
Helping the turtle to the water...
Then the crowd all rushed forward and we couldn't actually see Johnny take off, but we tracked him on the seaturtle.org website for a few days...and off he went!
After the turtle was gone, we let the kiddos play around on the beach for a bit...
...under Momma's watchful eye.
(I LOVE this one!)
Noel spent the whole time carrying sopping wet sand from the water's edge to a pile (a.k.a. "tower") he was making on the drier sand...
Avery spent her time chasing the seagulls (as usual)...
...though she would take occasional breaks to play in the water...
...with her brother...
...who was still very focused on making his "tower."
This shot was taken when Noel thought Jeff had stepped on his pile (which, luckily, he hadn't)...
Some family shots...
Pop...
More bird chasing...(with cousin George)...
Birdy, take your mark...
...get set...
...GO!
A (footless) shot of our family of four before heading back to GA...
On our way off of the beach, Noel discovers the hazards of throwing sand...
(Is it bad that we were too busy laughing and taking pictures to help the poor boy?)
Thank you Mimi and Uncle William for inviting us to experience the release with you! What a great way to end a wonderful trip!
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