SPI Sea Turtle Inc (2/12/2020)

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

A Quiscalus mexicanus/Great-tailed Grackle snitches sugar packets (KSS)

We had breakfast at the Café on the Beach, then were picked up by Pat and John to go to Sea Turtle Inc, a sea turtle rescue facility on South Padre Island, TX.

The star of Sea Turtle Inc is Allison, a Chelonia mydas/Green Sea Turtle
who was found in 2005 as a hand-sized turtle with
three fins missing, likely due to a shark attack (KSS)

After months of recuperating miraculously from her injuries, Allison had to stay in shallow water where with one fin she was able to swim only in left-hand circles. In 2009, an intern developed a prosthesis to act as a rudder.

Early versions of the prosthesis

An outgrown prosthesis

Another view of Allison

Gerry, also a Green Sea Turtle, was stranded on the beach after the 1980
Hurricane Allen, and was used by Ila Loetscher for educational purposes (KSS)

Ila Loetscher was the founder of Sea Turtle Inc, and Gerry accompanied her to the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman, to spread awareness about sea turtle conservation. Gerry became too socialized by human contact to be returned to the wild.

Wall of ceramic painted sea turtles

Texas flag sea turtle

Colorful sea turtle

Sea Turtle Inc amphitheater (KSS)

Phalacrocorax auritus/Double-crested Cormorants

We also saw Pelecanus erythrorhynchos/American White Pelicans,

Sierra 4x4, found in October 2019, is a victim of a boat propeller strike;
because the carapace was punctured, air is trapped inside the shell
and weights were attached to help with buoyancy (KSS)

Josie the Loggerhead (by Connie Lowell) was created with
beach trash found on local beaches

Size comparison of the sea turtle species

We headed across the causeway bridge to Port Isabel for lunch at the Pirate's Landing.

Port Isabel Lighthouse (1852), which during the
Civil War was occupied by soldiers from both
sides as a look-out post

Sculpture as memorial to Barbara Friedman, who was instrumental
in developing the lighthouse square in Port Isabel

Next: Brownsville Again.