Boardwalk to the Atlantic

I went to the beach to watch a baby sea turtle release... and all you got was this picture of the Boardwalk.

As it turns out, I missed the release by just a few minutes. So I have no photographs of cute little baby turtles making their dash for the Atlantic. Having been to sea turtle releases in the past and I know what a site it is. This time there were eighty five babies scrambling for the ocean. Most of them making a mad dash for the water and I am sure a few were having trouble deciding just where they wanted to go. That is when a Sea Turtle Patrol volunteer stepped in to show them the way.

Sea turtle nesting season in St. Johns County is May 1 through October 31. The threatened Loggerhead turtle is the most common turtle to nest on St. Augustine's beaches. Although green and leatherback turtles occasionally nest here also.

A mother turtle has usually made the trip back to where she was born to lay her 70 to 150 0r more eggs. After digging out her nest, delivering her eggs and covering them with sand the mother turtle returns to the ocean. The eggs will then incubate for for around 55 days depending on the weather.

Sea turtles are loosing their habitat to beach front properties, beach driving and beach erosion. Around St. Augustine we limit beach driving to daytime hours. When the young turtles are born they rely on moonlight bouncing off the ocean to guide them to the water. So, there are also laws in place restricting lighting on beach front homes during turtle nesting season. A young turtle can mistake the lights on a house for the ocean and wind up residing on someones patio.

Even when they reach the ocean baby turtles are in for a rough life. Weather, natural predators, pleasure boats and all manner of fishing boats and equipment endanger the young turtle's life. It is estimated that only one turtle in one thousand makes it to maturity.

Girona, Spain Reflected in the Onyar River - April 15, 2008

A picture is worth a thousand words? Maybe, Maybe not, but a photograph should certainly tell a story. Sometimes if a artist looks deep enough they will find a story within the story. Both of these photographs were taken in Girona, Spain. One is the traditional view... the picture you see on the advertising, websites and travel galleries of Spain. A picture taken from one of the bridges over River Onyar. This river separates modern Girona from the historic Jewish quarters. There must be hundreds of thousands of variations of this picture in paintings and photographs throughout the world.

The next picture is also taken from a bridge over the River Onyar. It tells a story of sunlight and water on a beautiful spring day. The brightly colored buildings of Girona's Jewish Quarters are reflected in the rippling river. It is an abstract sort of photograph that draws me in. It tells another story. This story is of the wonderful convergence of beautiful light, being in the right place at the right time and being aware of what was going on right under my feet. Who knew reflections could be that perfect.

There are numerous blogs that tell the story of how a picture was made. Believe me, I know because I read them religiously or... at least check in once or twice a week. Many of the entries in this blog will tell the story of the photograph. How two travelers (my husband and I) roaming Europe or South America came to be in that spot, at that time. Possibly we had a plan. More often than not we just grabbed a plane, train, bus or car and were surprised where we landed next. Many of our travel decisions have been made by looking at the destination's board in a bus or train station.

And... then there will be entries from home in St. Augustine, Florida. The oldest continually occupied city in the United States of America. St. Augustine will celebrate its 450th Birthday in 2015. It is one of the most beautiful small cities in the USA. Our little town attracts and creates artist. St. Augustine is an entertaining blend of paradise and Peyton Place. My photographs from St. Augustine usually come with a story.

Pictures of St. Augustine, Florida - Images by Georgia Nick