Nest Fest and Turtle Crawl, Jekyll Island, Georgia

We returned to the beach for the Nest Fest and Turtle Crawl held by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

This is an ordinary box turtle.

Marlon thought he heard "Big Mac."

This is a terrapin turtle...often seen crossing the road in this area.

Doug poses with one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dressed as the Georgia Sea Turtle Center mascot.

The Jekyll Island beach is very clean and sparsely populated even on a Saturday.

Younger members of the crowd get ready to try the Turtle Crawl.

A few jellyfish lay here and there along the beach...disgusting!

The crowd prepares for the main event of the day. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center will be releasing three rescued and rehabed sea turtles into the ocean.

First up we have Tweety, a Kemp's Ridley turtle. Tweety was found stranded in Brewster, Massachusetts on November 10, 2007. He was cold-stunned with lesions on his front flippers.

Tweety will be released with Kermit, a Green turtle. He was found stranded in Dennis, Massachusetts on November 11, 2007. He was also cold-stunned with lesions on his flippers.

Both turtles were transferred to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in the middle of December. After being in the care of the GSTC for nearly five months, they were ready to return to their home...the Atlantic Ocean.

Divers from the GSTC carried Tweety and Kermit out into the ocean for their release.

Our final releasee will have to find her own way home...and find it she will.

Meet Spitfire...a loggerhead sea turtle...she was found stranded in Volusia County, Florida on October 1, 2007 and arrived at the GSTC on December 3. She was having trouble submerging herself...she was floating...and she had a tilt.

She was found to have had a tear in her lung which had healed, but had resulted in a gas buildup in her body cavity which caused her to float and severely limited her ability to submerge herself in the ocean. The staff at the GSTC was able to perform a procedure which released 4 liters of air from her body cavity!

Spitfire is still a juvenile...growing from 102 pounds to 122 pounds in the five months at the GSTC.

Carrying a satellite transmitter on her back, watch Spitfire take her stroll down the beach bidding farewell to her friends at the GSTC. You HAVE to watch this video! Good luck, Spitfire!

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/may/jekyll-island/ pictures 111-166.

To be continued...

Jekyll Island Campground and Civil War Encampment

After watching some of the triathletes finish the race, we drove around the island for awhile and found the Jekyll Island Campground.

No satellite dishes here.

Probably aren't going to be any satellite dishes up ahead either at the Civil War Encampment.

No, these guys don't look interested in no satellites. They are going to demonstrate cannon shooting instead.

The Encampment took place on the grounds of the Horton House Ruins. The house was built by Major William Horton in the late 1730's. In 1743, he became commander of the English military forces of the Colony of Georgia until his death in 1748.

The ladies of the encampment demonstrate the latest in quilting and sewing.

Marlon wanted to trade in the motorhome for the comforts of this Civil War tent but I was able to make him reconsider.

The troops give some formation demonstrations.

The cook prepares a stew for dinner over hot coals.

Marlon and I did not know what these were. Do you?

Apparently they are oyster shells. Piles of oyster shells are a very common sight in this area.

For a video of the Civil War Encampment, click below.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/may/jekyll-island/ pictures 77-110.

To be continued...

Nest Fest and Turtle Crawl Triathlon, Jekyll Island, Georgia

Today we drove to Jekyll Island, Georgia at the break of dawn.
Featured in the films Glory and The Legend of Bagger Vance, the island is home to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

To get to Jekyll Island, you have to jump this in your car.

Today, we are here the the Nest Fest and Turtle Crawl sponsored by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

The first event of the day was the Turtle Crawl Triathlon, officially sanctioned by the USAT. This event features 1.5 km (about 1 mile) of swimming followed by 40 km (about 25 miles) of cycling followed by 10 km (about 6 1/2 miles) of running.

It was perfect weather to observe a triathlon.

The participants line up on the beach in their swim attire waiting for the starting gun.

Two triathletes start the race every five seconds.

Very simple...just swim around the buoys...for about 1 mile.

Then run under this horseshoe shaped finish line. The fastest swimmer took 11 minutes 58 seconds averaging 4.7 mph.

Then put on cycling shoes and roll back out of fenced-in area...mount and ride...fast.

While the triathlon was in progress, a 5 km fun walk/run was held. Here one of the participants crosses the finish line pushing her child's stroller.

The fastest cycler completed the 40 kilometers in 58 minutes 3 seconds averaging 25.7 mph.

Next dismount bike...walk bike to appropriate rack...change to running shoes...run out.

The fastest runner completed the 10 kilometer course in 36 minutes 20 seconds averaging 5 minutes and 52 seconds per mile.

The fastest runner also happened to be the overall winner, 37 year old G.R. Carr from Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Total time 1:51:09.

The first female finisher finished in an adjusted time of 2:11:13.

Over 140 triathletes participated ranging in age from 16 to 63. 13 women and 47 men participating were over the age of 40.

For some highlights of the 6th Annual Turtle Crawl Triathlon, watch the video below.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/may/jekyll-island/ pictures 1-76.

To be continued...