Sea Turtle Hospital News

Finding Annie

She came to us "from the middle of nowhere." At least that's what summer intern Annie Johnson told me when I asked her where she was from. Nowhere turns out to be "somewhere near Benson." Wherever she's from we're really happy that she's here with us, despite the fact that she calls us all "ma'am" and we're feeling decidedly older! (Secretly, we enjoy it, but don't tell her.)

Annie professes a life-long love for turtles, and animals of all sorts, but her first real-life encounter with a sea turtle was kind of a back door event. She was volunteering at the museum in Raleigh when we blew into town with "Ambassador Lennie" for "Reptile & Amphibian Day." She worked at our table while "Lennie" worked his magic on the crowd. It didn't take her long to decide that, of the four internships she had been accepted into ours was the one she really wanted: "it was everything I believe in."

With our increasing patient load Annie gets plenty of opportunity to put her beliefs into practice. She especially enjoys wound care and seeing the dramatic improvement it makes in the healing process. She's one of "Eight's" physical therapists, and her biggest cheerleader when that badly damaged flipper starts to move.

Annie says the experience has been everything she hoped for and expected, and sometimes more. One "more" is the daily crowd of 400 to 600 people who come to see our turtles. She loves it: standing behind a tank or out at the gate regaling visitors with turtle facts and tales. It's been her "best experience ever" and she "wouldn't trade it for the world." She does have one practical piece of advice for would-be interns: save your money before you come so you can concentrate on your internship without having to worry about anything else. Her careful financial planning allows her to keep a perpetual smile on her face and a consistent upbeat attitude towards whatever we throw her way.

Annie will return to NC State as a junior majoring in Animal Science, pre-vet track. But in the six weeks she has left with us she's learning to surf (intern Nathan is a very busy young man) and likes it so much she's invested in her own board. Stand back and watch her ride!

Holes - can you dig it?

At first I thought our hospital visitors were exaggerating about what they'd seen; a hole in the sand that seemed to grow with each telling, kind of like that proverbial fish that got away. But after checking around I got official confirmation (from the Surf City Police) that there was indeed a hole not much smaller than the Grand Canyon on their beach. In fact, they measured it at nine feet. FEET! Why someone thought that was a smart thing to do had us all stumped. That was a child-eating, pet gulping, adult break-a-leg hole and common sense should have won out when that idea came up! Picture driving down the highway and suddenly dropping into a pothole that size. If the impact can rip apart your car imagine what can happen to flesh and blood.

Every town on Topsail Island has ordinances in place regarding the digging of holes in the sand. Holes are a very real hazard to the safety of anyone walking on the beach, and are potential death traps to a mama turtle dragging her 450-pound body along trying to find a place to nest. Briefly, here's what our local laws say about digging holes.

North Topsail Beach: It's unlawful to dig into the sand to a depth of greater than 12 inches without a responsible person in attendance at all times. All holes must be filled before leaving the beach, and no later than 30 minutes prior to sunset. The town has the option of issuing a town citation to violators.

Surf City: No holes on the beach. None. The town has the option of issuing a citation along with a $50 fine.

Topsail Beach: Holes greater than 12 inches deep are prohibited unless a responsible person is in attendance at all times. All holes must be filled prior to leaving the beach, and the filled area must be level with and in the same general condition as the surrounding area. Persons 16-years-of-age or older who abandon a hole are subject to a civil penalty and a $25 fine.

We're not saying you can't come to the beach and have fun. But don't let your inattention turn into tragedy for another person or critter. Like your mama always said; put your toys away when you're done with them. If you're on the beach and some other kid walked away from his handiwork please kick some sand into it for the sake of both humans and animals.

Briefly noted

Hospital open house: Daily from 2 to 4 p.m., except Wednesday and Sunday. The gift shop is also open during those hours. We close without notice for incoming turtles and dangerous weather conditions, but generally for only a short period of time. Please note that two incorrect phone numbers appear in various places in the "Coaster" magazine: the correct number for reporting turtle activity/strandings is: 910-470-2880. The correct number for the hospital is: 910-328-3377.

Turtle Talks: Every Wednesday, through Labor Day. This one-hour presentation, 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. includes lots of hands-on materials to introduce you to the enigmatic world of sea turtles. Visuals and handouts are appropriate for ages K-adult, and bring your camera to get some great shots of your kids, or yourself. The site is the Surf City Community Center, JH Batts Rd. (off Rt. 210 between Docksider and Gilligan's.) Admission is free but donations for our turtles are appreciated. Please leave food and drinks in the car. For more information call the hospital at: 910-328-3377.

Topsail Turtle Project: Our beach crew continues to chase after a very active group of nesting mamas. You can keep track of their exploits on our website: www.seaturtlehospital.org. Please report all sea turtle activity (nestings, strandings, injured turtles or hatchings) to our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at 910-470-2880.

Questions, comments or suggestions for stories: Tell me what you want to hear about by contacting me at: flippers@embarqmail.com.

Karen Sota is the volunteer media coordinator for the Sea Turtle Hospital in Topsail Beach.