And a little moonlight shall lead the way......

TURTLES TURTLES AND MORE TURTLES !

 For those of you that missed the great hatching of our show off, fancy pants loggerhead turtle nest ( this was the turtle that came ashore in the day to lay eggs, with a great audience, at the bottom of the BUSIEST WalkOver Ramp on the beach - she's a show stealer), which I'm guess was MOST of you.  I bring to you the following photos and video.  This is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nest that was at Navarre Beach, WalkOver 3, the handicap ramp in the main parking lot.  This nest was laid, oddly enough, in the day time instead of night, on July 3rd.

Setting up for the LONG wait.

Hard to see but the depression is forming in the center of the staked area.

The nest was showing signs of activity and scratching at around 6:55 pm, movement was noted at 7:10, and again at 7:14, and 7:19. At 7:23 the first major movement was made, and at 7:35, just after sun down, WHOOSH!, 24 little hatchling burst forth and strode off to the sea.

The marine science students had dug and smoothed us a lovely pathway for the critters trip.  Which made the journey much quicker, as those little legs didn't have to dodge footprints.  We only had three turtles get confused as to their direction, due to the brighter lights from the local condos, but human bodies did a great job blocking that light for our little travelers.  24 made the journey this go around. ( loggerheads lay anywhere from 80-120 eggs, only 1 in 1000 eggs will make it back to lay eggs on the home beach, and it takes 25 to 30 years for a turtle to reach maturity)

The nest had sounds of further movement, but then went quiet again. We think it is done for the night, but will be "caged" for the night and checked repeatedly for more hatchlings all night long.  If not tonight, maybe more tomorrow.  IF you come to a turtle hatching, PLEASE PLEASE NO BRIGHT LIGHTS. This confuses the hatchlings and they waste energy walking the wrong direction.  It also messes up our night vision.  This includes all flash photography, glo sticks, and CELL PHONES.  (Photos on this site were taken in daylight, or with flash with NO TURTLES present.  Video was taken with red light, which goes unseen/noticed by turtles.)  Thank you.  We also need you to be very quiet, and limit your movement.  The hatchlings can feel the vibrations in the sand from over 50 feet away, and think it's a predator and will not come out.  It also makes it very difficult for us to hear the hatchlings beneath the sand.  We may set a perimeter of 50 feet from the nest for further viewing for the safety of the turtles, so be prepared for that.  We thank you for all of your consideration. 

And at the end of the run, we were left with this. So cute.

Now with that said, I'm going to hit the shower and wash off all this sand.

Now for your viewing pleasure, taken by me, a late night sea side video.While my camera takes great video, the sound stinks, so turn off your sound, and hum the music from 2001 a Space Odessy......Prepare to say Awwwwwwwwww

The video runs for about 5 minutes, but there's nothing to see past about 3.45

CLICK FOR VIDEO >>>   Sea Turtles Hatching

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu

It is with great sadness, regret, and disappointment that I make My final post on the blog.  Due to several factors, I find that I must resign from the SURF program as the Volunteer County Coordinator, and as a SURF Volunteer.  It's going to be hard to let it go, but it is a decision that I do not take lightly, nor came to quickly.

I have enjoyed it immensely.  I will continue to be on the Pier, fishing or with my watercolours, so feel free to stop by and say, hello.

I will be turning over the email, supplies, and the blog back over to the county as of close of business today.  The blog will soldier on, as will the SURF program, just with someone new at the helm.

I hope that I have not only served the program well, but the community.  I also hope that the blog brought a little bit of seaside education along with a giggle during your morning coffee break.

So with that, I'll ride off into the sunset.

See you on the white sand.

TD 5 Wednesday-dissapated

From NHS and NOAA; 4 PM CDT Wednesday

We now have a High Surf Advisory, A Flash Flood Watch, and a Coastal Flooding Message.

...HEAVY RAINS FORECAST TO OVERSPREAD THE GULF COAST THROUGH FRIDAY

AFTERNOON...

.THE BROAD CENTER OF A LARGE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO
MIGRATE NORTHWESTWARD OFF THE GULF AND SLOWLY INLAND THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS. WITH THE FORECAST CALLING FOR A SLOW MOVEMENT...THE
POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...IN BANDS...TO REPEATEDLY
MOVE OVER THE SAME AREAS OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
EASTWARD INTO THE COASTAL COUNTIES THROUGH FRIDAY. AS SOILS BECOME
SATURATED THE RISK OF FLASH FLOODING WILL INCREASE OVER THE WATCH AREA.


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A



* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...
NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING AREAS...IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...LOWER BALDWIN...LOWER
MOBILE...UPPER BALDWIN AND UPPER MOBILE. IN NORTHWEST
FLORIDA...COASTAL ESCAMBIA...COASTAL OKALOOSA...COASTAL SANTA
ROSA...INLAND ESCAMBIA...INLAND OKALOOSA AND INLAND SANTA
ROSA. IN SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...GEORGE AND STONE.

* FROM MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON
* THE HEAVIER RAINS ARE POSSIBLE GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
WIGGINS MISSISSIPPI TO CITRONELLE...BAY MINETTE ALABAMA TO
CRESTVIEW FLORIDA. LATEST FORECASTS CALL FOR STORM TOTAL RAINS OF 3
TO 5 INCHES DURING THE DURATION OF WATCH. A FEW AREAS MAY SEE LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS OF AROUND 6 INCHES.

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT FRIDAY...

MODERATE SWELLS ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE BREAKING ONSHORE ALONG THE
BEACHES OF ALABAMA AND THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING...CREATING DANGEROUS RIP CURRENT AND HAZARDOUS SWIMMING
CONDITIONS.

THE HIGH SURF WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SOME MINOR BEACH EROSION...AS
WELL AS NUISANCE COASTAL FLOODING AS WASH MOVES OVER JETTIES AND
EXPOSED LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COASTLINE. MANY LOCATIONS
ALONG THE COAST...INCLUDING BAYS AND RIVERS...WILL LIKELY HAVE TIDE
LEVELS 1 TO 2 FEET ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THE
PREDICTION FOR HIGH TIDES NEAR 1 FOOT ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR AROUND
100 PM THURSDAY. THE NEAP TIDE CYCLE WILL HELP ALLEVIATE ANY
SIGNIFICANT COASTAL HAZARDS.
THE LOCATIONS MOST PRONE TO MINOR COASTAL FLOODING ARE ALONG THE OLD
MOBILE CAUSEWAY AND THE WEST END OF DAUPHIN ISLAND IN SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA...AND FORT PICKENS STATE PARK WEST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA.

All the IDs are now completed.  They are at the firehouse.

A small leak in a hydraulic line during a test for static kill has delayed the attempt.  We've waited this long, I guess we can soldier on longer.

 

The beach looks fabulous again today.  The mini gnats are in full force.  The June Grass is in the swim zone down by WO1 and 2, but much clearer down by 3 and 3H.  There are storms just off the coast this morning, but I didn't hear any thunder.  The rain yesterday certainly didn't cool us down, but my house geckos and tree frogs are enjoying the explosion of flying insects.  SPEAKING of which, what's up with the migration and mating frenzy of the dragonflies the last couple of day?!  Cool, eh?  OH, and looks like we are up to turtle nest #6, with a nest to the EAST of WO 1.  It's clear up on the dune line.

 TS Colin is now swirling amok in the Atlantic.  As things stand now, a frontal system should, hopefully steer it off the east coast of the US, and back out to sea, and a dry slot may keep it a Tropical Storm.  BUT we all know that can change in the blink of an eye.  So we'll do what we always do, hurry up and wait. 

Today we have an Excessive Heat Watch.  Which means we've gone from Dangerously Oppressive, to Repulsively Sticky.  Heat indexes will continue to be in the 105-113 range.  You know the drill: Water, loose fitting clothing, sunscreen, and take it slowly.

Unless I think of something amazing this afternoon, that's all I've got for you.

Have a great day!

Hot Cha cha cha!

Yes, another blazing HOT and HUMID day awaits us.  I am as tired of it as you are.  Especially as I got my Gulf Power Bill Friday.  WOW.  But worth every penny.

Thank you to Mindi for taking on the new SURF facebook page.  I told her she could take her time hooking it up and then run with it.  As soon as she has it up and running, I'll link the blog to it.  For those of you that have cells that Internet, I love facebook for that up to the minute stuff. 

The Gulf remains dreamy.  There just isn't anywhere cool to escape too.  Even the water is more than bathtub warm.  We tried escaping to the pool yesterday, when the heat index hit 119, but the pool water was 98 and felt less like a chill spot and more like cannibal stew.  But the company was good.

BP intends to start the kill shot today.  We'll see how that goes.

Beyond that, it was a quiet - albeit- crowded weekend at the beach.  Tourist were surprised to spot sharks.  Hey, it's their ocean. We don't keep them in a jar somewhere.  One lady squealed like a stuck pig when she was touched by a small school of bait fish. I thought she was going to jump right out of her suit.  They were just looking for shade.  "OMGosh" "It's a FISH!" Giggle....

And here's a great story from CNN.  Just a cool story that shows the power of the currents in the GOM.  http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/07/28/pkg.backpack.lost.cuba.wwl?hpt=T2

Weather in the Atlantic is perking up, or down, depending on your view of the whole hurricane season.

So there ya have it. It's hot, slow, and sticky.

 Is it muscadine jelly season yet?

Today's one of those days I tip my hat to our ancestors.  It's 9am, and it already feels like 98 with the humidity.  No wonder the Spanish moss just hangs off the trees! It's too hot and sticky to hug them!  Imagine yourself in 1860, a time before AC, regular bathing, a good Maytag Machine, deodorants, and shampoos.  Now imagine getting up in the morning, putting on under garments, stockings, pettipants, a corset, a shift, several layers of skirts and then an over dress.  No wonder they were all tiny people, they lived in their own sweat boxes!  Just the thought of all that makes me cringe.  As for the men, if you were LUCKY you had a cotton suit of clothes for the summer, but odds are it was wool.  Oh, well you say you can go with out the jacket if it gets hot!  That would have been downright indecent !  LOL!

I mean can you just imagine?!  It makes me want to wilt just thinking about it!

If you're going out today, make sure you take it slowly and drink plenty of water.

Tomorrow is another round of training for newcomers, from 1-2:30 at the science station.  So if you know anyone interested, have them call the number listed in the green area above.  Some of the AmeriCorps volunteers will be there as well. 

With the well head capped, we have noticed a significant number of the questions shifting away from the oil and anything to do with it, and more towards local life, things to do/eat, and local animal life, especially turtles turtles turtles.  The training will reflect that.  Remember this is a year round volunteer opportunity.  We plan on providing a service to the beach long after the oil.

That said, the beaches look fabulous, the water continues to be clear, and this weekend is shaping up to be a great beach weekend.  We are currently at GREEN Flag for water conditions. Y'all be safe and have a super day!

Static Kill

BP's plan to finally block the broken well head of Deep Horizon are set to begin on August 2nd.  At that time a concrete platform  and casing will be poured around the broken head.  Five days following that- when the concrete has hardened, August 7th, the heavy mud  will be sent down the intersecting relief shafts to hopefully seal this mess off for good - bottom kill.  Here's hoping for calm seas.

What is heavy mud?  I learned from the show Dirty Jobs that when you drill you need to replace what you are taking out of the well with a liquid of equal density.  HA ! That makes it about as clear as mud, eh?  For an easy to understand explanation on WHAT heavy mud is and how it works. This is for a different well, but is a great page of information. http://www.coogeeresources.com.au/uploads/PTTEP%20Fact%20sheet%20-%20heavy%20mud%20and%20the%20relief%20well%203.pdf

I had no one on the schedule for yesterday and today. I have several for the next few days.  I know, it's hot enough to make a fish sweat.  With water over 90' at the beach, they very well could be.  If you find that you want to go out for just a couple of hours in the early morning, or late in the evening, SUPER!!  I'm a 6-9 kind of girl, PM that is.  You'd be amazed at how may people are down at the beach in the evening, when the sun starts to crash.  That said, it's dark down there.  Keep safety in mind.  Carry a flashlight so you don't trip on a crab, or do what I did and walk right off the top of a sand cut.  That was a wet eye opener!

HOT HOT HOT and HUMID are the buzz of the week.  The tropics remain quiet, the beaches and water clean, except for the abundant June Grass. At least we don't have it as thick as Destin has had it this week! Mercy have you seen those photos?  Their water looks like they're swimming in a Wheat Grass Milkshake! ICK! These are shots that were sent to NWFDaily News http://nwfdailynews.emeraldcoastphotoswest.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=1047765&CategoryID=28208&ListSubAlbums=0

Have a safe and fabulous day !

Monday Monday

It's going to be another hot and humid day down on the beach with Heat Indexes of well over 100.  There is also a good chance for thunderstorms today.  If you hear thunder, or see lightning, please come in off the beach.

We now have plenty of informational binders available for reading.  (We only had one ready at training to show.)  Please feel free to pick one up for reading or carrying with you on your beach walks.  They are on the SURF table at the firehouse.

The AmeriCorp group( http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/choose/state_national.asp ) will be joining us down at the beach this week.  They are here from all over the country to work along side us, not for us.  They are here as their own group with their own informational programs and services about the beach and the BP spill.  As it stands now, it sounds like they will have a home base station near the Pier.  Stop by and meet them and see what they have brought to support our beach and it's guests.

The turtles have been busy and I hope to get a turtle nest report soon.  I have heard many people comment on the moving of the eggs, and they wonder WHY we (those in charge of the turtle eggs)  are waiting SO long to do it.  "Move them, move them now, before the oil kills them." You just can't move a reptile egg.  They are extremely fragile.  They must remain in the same orientation as they are laid in the nest.  If an egg is tipped or turned from "UP", the embryo can actually drown in the egg.  SO, with the incubation period of a sea turtle being 50-60 days, and our beach spotters knowing which nest was laid when, they are waiting until the LAST possible day to move the eggs to ensure the highest number of viable hatchlings.  Also, since the way the hatchings imprints on the beach it was laid at is not really understood, they are hoping to leave them in their native sand as long as possible.  IF they have to move them at all.  Time will tell. 

Just added to the useful links to the left, DEP Daily Report, the Quick link to Santa Rosa County reports, and the Daily Air Report.

And with that, I'll let you go out and enjoy your Monday.  Have fun, and be safe.

Bye Bye Bonnie

As I sit here this morning, Bonnie struggles to be anything more than a tired blob.  Even the ocean is calm this morning. As of 9 am, she is South of Panama City beach, and out a few hundred miles.   I'm pleased as punch about that.  The beach and water is clear, with out winds from the East.  And as the threat passes in the next day, the main BP teams on the rigs and the skimmers, and well head crews will get back to the task at hand.

Tropical Storm Warnings have been cancelled.We do have a chance of wind gusts later today, as well as rain and thunder as what is left of Bonnie passes to our South and West. And we also have a chance of WaterSpouts later, so be on the lookout for those if you are out.
I am hoping to see increased traffic at the beach now that the immanent threat of a Tropical Blow has passed.  Wave action may increase as the winds shift and start to come from the South.And from the National Weather Service.
"SAT JUL 24 2010 /355 AM CDT SAT JUL 24 2010/
...A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS EXPECTED TODAY IS IN EFFECT FROM 2
PM EDT /1 PM CDT/ THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING...
INCREASING WINDS AND SEAS OUT ACROSS THE GULF WATERS DUE TO
TROPICAL DEPRESSION BONNIE PASSING TO THE SOUTH WILL LEAD TO
BUILDING SURF AND DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE PANHANDLE
BEACHES TODAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
WIND AND SURF CONDITIONS WILL SUPPORT DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS
TODAY. RIP CURRENTS ARE LIFE THREATENING TO ANYONE ENTERING THE
WATER."


I only have one funny story to share and then I'll let you go on your way.  It's not a SURF story, but a fishing one.  While fishing the other night with my son, the lack of nibbles drove him to boredom.  He asked to go see what the other kids at the end of the pier were catching.  So he went to the other side of the octagon, where a boy his age had just pulled in a large sucker fish, a remora, which hang out under the pier, sucking on the pylons.  Anyway, they got it off the hook and the bugger suctioned itself to the concrete.  Watching two boys trying to get a determined slimy fish off concrete was just about the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.  Then it got funnier.

 I heard," Wouldn't it be funny if we got him loose and stuck him to that guy's back?"  HA !  There was a man fishing about 10 feet away, sunburned, no shirt and now I was envisioning him having to explain to his wife why he had this enormous sucker hickey on his back. " Honest honey, I was out fishing!"  Although with as hot as it was, maybe a giant wet slimy fish on his back would feel great.  (hmmmm, new cooling invention you might see on late night TV. "Call in now and order your one of a kind, super cool cooling fish. Just $29.95! When you're done with him, you've got a handy dinner for two!") Luckily for him, they thought it out and tossed fishy back into the emerald deep.

Kids.

If you're going out today; drink your water, use that sunscreen, wear your hat, have fun and share the knowledge.