A Sea Turtle Story
Chapter 6: Pancake Returns!
The story so far: Pancake, a hurt loggerhead turtle, is rescued, treated and sent to a sea turtle hospital. At the hospital, a young girl named Lolly helps take care of Pancake. The young girl bonds with the sea turtle. After the turtle is totally rehabilitated, (including regaining the use of a flipper), she is well enough to be released. Finally, the big day arrives! Pancake is released back to her ocean home. But, how will the sea turtle fare?
Time passed. School was out for the summer, and Lolly worked more hours at the hospital. The place seemed a little empty without Pancake. But not for long!
Three new patients arrived. A loggerhead turtle came in with a fishing hook stuck in its throat. Another had eaten a plastic bag, mistaking it for a jellyfish. A green turtle named Emerald had tangled both of her front flippers and one back flipper in the webbing of an old beach chair that had washed into the ocean. Her back flipper was so damaged that it had to be amputated. Happily, Emerald was able to swim with only three flippers.
Even though weeks had passed and Lolly was busy helping with the new patients at the turtle hospital, she still thought about Pancake. She wondered how the turtle was doing. But there was no time to brood!
It was sea turtle nesting season. Lolly and her friend Zack had signed up with the local sea turtle program. They walked the beaches looking for turtle tracks and other signs of turtle activity. Lolly loved turtle patrol!
One evening, Lolly and Zack were busy patrolling. Just up the beach, a loggerhead turtle made her way to the shore. The mother sea turtle had come back to the very same beach where she was born. Like her mother before her, she would make her nest here and lay her eggs.
The turtle looked for a suitable spot for her nest – a place where the tide couldn’t reach. Finally, she found a good spot and began making her nest.
With her front flippers, the turtle dug out a “body pit.” She used her back flippers to dig a hole. Then the mother sea turtle deposited her eggs – 120 in all! The eggs dropped into the hole or “egg cavity.” The turtle eggs were white and soft-shelled. They were a little like rubbery ping-pong balls.
After the mother turtle had finished laying her eggs, she used her hind flippers to cover the nest with sand. The turtle buried her eggs to protect them. Covering the nest would also keep the eggs moist and at the right temperature. The mother turtle covered her nest so well that it was barely visible!
Her task completed, the mother turtle crawled toward the water. She would not return. The eggs would hatch into baby sea turtles without any more help from their mother.
As Lolly and Zack walked the beach, they spotted some turtle tracks in the sand. The tracks looked like tractor tire tracks, but they recognized them for what they were–– loggerhead turtle tracks!
“Look over there,” Zack said. “A turtle’s heading for the water. I bet she laid some eggs!”
Lolly looked at the turtle. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was Pancake!
“I don’t believe it!” Lolly said, then added softly. “She’s all right.”
“More than all right, I’d say!” Zack commented.
Quietly, without disturbing Pancake, Lolly watched her special friend return to the ocean. She knew in her heart that the sea turtle was happy. Lolly felt very proud.
Silently, Lolly made Pancake a promise. “I’ll protect your nest,” Lolly said to herself, “I promise!”
Lolly and Zack searched for Pancake’s nest. When they finally found it, they carefully marked the spot.
Lolly kept her promise. For two months, she checked on the nest to make sure nothing disturbed it. Soon the eggs would hatch into baby sea turtles. Lolly planned to be there when it happened!
Many evenings, Lolly would go down to the beach to check on Pancake’s nest. She sat and waited for the eggs to hatch. Suddenly one evening, Zack showed up and plopped down beside her.
“What are you doing here?” Lolly said, surprised to see Zack.
“Your mom sent me to tell you to come home soon,” Zack answered. “Nothing happening yet, huh?”
“Nope, not yet,” Lolly sighed, “but I have a feeling tonight’s the night.”
“I think you should give up,” Zack advised. “You can’t stay here all night!”
Just then something moved in the sand. Pancake’s nest began to “boil” and baby hatchlings poured out! The helpless hatchlings raced toward the ocean.
Lolly and Zack helped by keeping away the ghost crabs. When a hatchling went the wrong way, the two young people guided it back on course.
As soon as the baby turtles reached the water, they started swimming. They would not stop until they reached a safer place where they could find food.
Lolly knew that most of the sea turtles wouldn’t survive long enough to grow up. The world is a dangerous place for sea turtles! But the females that survived would grow up and return to this same beach to nest.
And Lolly knew that when they returned she and her children would always be there to help! The End