A Walk For Hundreds

Hundreds of sea turtles come ashore to nest on North Carolina's beaches each summer. These loggerheads, lay eggs by the hundred, then return to the sea. The nests are protected and guarded by volunteers and these volunteers have a phone chain that contact friends when the eggs are going to hatch. It was late in the season and the volunteers for my mom's theater were on the watch that night and called us hurry down to see the last hatching. When we got there, the beach was packed. A few hundred people got the same call we did. The route to the beach for the turtles is roped off and most had flashlights to help them find their way to the ocean. Only one turtle hatched and was making his way to the ocean. The volunteers pulled me under the ropes, so I could walk behind this one lone turtle. The perspective from behind this one little turtle was like movie red carpet. Lined with people smiling and tons of lights showing him the way. Even though it was on the single turtle, the applause when he made it to the oceans was exhilarating.