In the animal kingdom, we often witness acts of bravery and resilience that leave us in awe. One such example is the story of a turtle mother who recently made headlines for her inspiring effort to lay eggs despite a serious injury.
Discovered turtle laying eggs
Two days ago, Jeff George, executive director of Sea Turtle, Inc., received a phone call. Someone on a beach on South Padre Island in Texas had spotted a distinctive-looking sea turtle with a large chunk missing from her shell.
George knew this turtle. A little over a month ago, she had crawled onto the same beach, dug a nest and laid 85 eggs. An intern had snapped a single photo of her, but before she could get another one, the animal disappeared back into the ocean.
But now the turtle was back with a purpose — to dig another nest and lay more eggs.
But nothing was going to stop this mama turtle from doing what she needed to do — this time, she laid 62 eggs.
The turtle had a large wound on her shell, which had caused her to become weak and disoriented. The wound was likely the result of a collision with a boat or other marine debris.
Despite her injury, the turtle was determined to fulfill her maternal duties. Green sea turtles are known to lay their eggs on the same beach where they were born, and this mother was no exception. She made her way to the beach and began to dig a nest in the sand, using her flippers to create a cavity for her eggs.
As she dug, the injured turtle struggled to maintain her balance and often fell over. But she persevered, using all her strength to create the perfect nest for her offspring. Finally, after several hours of labor, the turtle laid her eggs and covered them with sand.
The turtle had shown incredible resilience and determination, despite the pain and discomfort caused by her injury. Her act of bravery had not gone unnoticed, and soon after, a team of wildlife experts arrived on the beach to assess her condition.
The experts found that the turtle’s wound was severe and required immediate medical attention. They carefully transported her to a nearby rehabilitation center, where she underwent surgery to repair her shell. The surgery was successful, and the turtle was able to make a full recovery.
While the turtle won’t be around to see her babies hatch, George and his team will do everything they can to make sure the eggs are well taken care of. After the mother laid her eggs, the team moved them to a protected hatchery to ensure they make it to the ocean. “They are in the hatchery and they’re incubating,” George said.
It’s typical for Kemp’s ridley turtles to lay three lots of eggs, and George believes this lot may have been her third nest.
“The first nest is usually a hundred or more, so this was most likely a third nest for this mama,” he said. “Or it could be that because of the predator attack that her reproductive system is smaller, and that this is the maximum amount that she can generate.” And after her body recuperates, she’ll be ready to nest again in a couple of years, George said.
“Sea turtles have an incredible ability to survive and continue to do their instinctive things like laying eggs,” George said. “She is a testimony to the survival of the species, and how hearty sea turtles are.”
