Sebastian Inlet, Florida
01/11/2010

It started out as a windy, nasty, cold morning that you'd expect to see along the Great Lakes.

The wind was howling, the waves white capping & the sting of the salt spray as it hits your face.

It turned out not to be as cold as Sunday morning (or as predicted), but (11) eleven morning like this is taking it's toll.

We limited out on bluebills, but the Florida Mottled Ducks refused to make an appearence. We left the clients & began to search the backwaters & potholes for them. As we walked, the devastation of Florida's extended freeze began to rear it's ungly head.

Thousands & thousands of dead fish & crustaceans.

Triggerfish, snook, mullet, flounder, horseshoe crabs, blue grabs & juvenile spiney lobster.








As Capt Aaron & I searched for a lost decoy, I made another chilling discovery!!!

Dead & dying loggerhead turtles tangled within the mangroves roots. The
(45) forty-five degree waters & constant NNW winds had finally taken it toll on them.



We immediately got on the phone with Sea Turtle Rescue & told them of our stomach turning discovery. We were advised that so far, they had rescued or recovered over (400) four-hundred turtles.

Roger, from the rescue group gave us the authorization. Pick them up & bring them to the landings where their volunteers would meet us.

In all, we rescued (6) six loggerheads & advised them of (2) two additional dead ones.













The turtles basically shutdown when the water hits (60) sixty degrees. Many drown because the can no longer lift thier heads to breath of become over turned due to the wave action.

The Marine Resource Council also dispatched a vessel & a group of volunteers to begin combing the shoreline along the eastside of the lagoon.

We all drove away from the landings feeling like we did some good today!!!

Even though we had to break out the "Mojo Bag" & take the curse off the boats.

One of the clients brought a banana on-board!!!:angry2:

good job guys. well done

Well I'll be .... Thats intrestin' !!! Whats them knot lookin' thangs on them turtles back ?

thats pretty cool that yall saved them turtles and BROOKS them would be Barnacles

Good job guys.

good job.

what kind of fish is that?

u shoulda cleaned that turtle and made a sauce picante' with him.

i did a report on sea turtles back in middle school and they can live to be up to like 107 years old and i bet u the ol boy went down to cuba and picked him a few ripe cigars up on the turtle savin mission