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Show NEW TIMES - JANUARY 1993- 3 r= :' Baja Water At Christmas time my family and I so excited to see them, it was so special. After awhile we decided to help the turtles get to the ocean. They seemed as if they never would have made it alone. They were half dead, in fact two died. It was a hard decision because I didn’t know if they were old enough and we didn’t know if down in La Paz (that’s in Baja Califor- we should interfere with nature. As soon as we got them wet, they got nia Sur). We all camped out on some beaches. One time we camped on a cliff lively and their flippers beat wildly. They were eager to swim. My mom and overlooking a sandy beach and the sea (the Sea of Cortez). Our friends had dad and brother and I carried the turtles way out deep in the sea because the been there before and they had found waves at the shoreline were very rough went to Mexico. Our friends met us some baby turtles (hatchlings). So we and would have thrown the baby turtles went on a walk to see if we could find right back on shore and perhaps even any. We did. The turtles were lying between and under the rocks, stuck, unable to free themselves so that they could get to the ocean. The turtles were camoflaged in the brown and grey rocks. It was rough and rocky. I didn’t broken their shells. We made a few trips. At one time we had about twelve in the water at the same time. My dad find any of the twenty turtles we found. Eric found most of them. He said that was because of his experience in finding arrowheads. - It was so neat to find the T ' babies. They were smaller than I would have thought but not exactly the same. We couldn’t find any that looked just like them. Maybe they looked different because they were babies and not full grown. They could have been Olive Ridleys too as both of these types of giant sea turtles live in that area. Many people have witnessed a mother turtle arriving on the beach to lay her eggs. She goes beyond the high tide point and digs a hole with her hindlimbs (flippers). There she deposits her eggs two at a time. She can lay up to two hundred eggs in a clutch. It takes about two months for them to hatch. Their shells are very soft when they first come out of the eggs. took pictures of mom and me with turtles on our shoulders. One turtle rolled off mom’s shoulder and bit her. It is very dangerous and less than one percent survive. Seagulls and small mammals like to prey on them. Once they get to the ocean they face still Some of them swam towards the shore, more predators, including fish. As they we had to turn them around One I thought was drowning but he was just diving and soon resurfaced. grow older the tables turn, these large sea turtles eat fish and sometimes even birds. They can weigh up to a thousand pounds! Seeing those hatchlings was something I will never forget. —Olivia Kulander We looked in some books to identify them. The Green Turtle looked similar and their flippers were as g big as their bodies. I was Swap Shop Column Westwater Canyon Westwater Canyon is our nearest stretch of river for some great Class III and IV white water. If you’re a boater and thinking about doing a private trip this season— April 1 through September 30—now’s the time to apply for a permit. Application forms are available from BLM Grand Resource Area, 885 S. Sand Flats Road, Moab, 84532 (259- 4421) and must be submitted before February 16th. Happy boating. ——Tn'sh Hawkins Are you tired of doing it all yourself? All of us in Castle Valley are veteran do-it-yourselfers; however, neighbors might have ways to make each other’s jobs easier. Some of us produce food, art work, furniture, propagate plants, have unused items lying around collecting dust and rust. All these might be swapped to the benefit of both parties. To make this a possibility, the Times will carry a monthly SWAP SHOP box. Maria Loe will serve as a clearing center and connector for persons with skills or items to swap. Operation Swap Shop is a good opportunity for all the people in Castle Valley to share work, get to know their neighbors, and possibly to save time and money. Contact me at 259-7560 to list your skill(s) or items. I will act as a clearing center and connector for persons with skills or items to swap. If your swap is successful and you are happy with the outcome, we will appreciate a $1 donation in our suggestion box at the front gate to help with printing costs. SWAP SHOP listings for our February issue are due by February 8th. —Maria Loe |
