First turtle's nest

Turtle season started May 1st and this morning we had our first nest. Woohoo! The best part is that the nest was that of a leatherback, one of the rarer species (designated endangered) and definitely the largest. These turtles can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and measure 7 feet in length. I'd probably faint if I saw one in person, just the evidence of her being here is awesome in itself.

Leatherback's unmistakable signs include her very wide tractor-like tracks and a very large area where she digs a body pit, throwing sand everywhere, then eventually digs the hole to lay her clutch of eggs. What a great day!

(Remember, to get a better view just click on the photo to enlarge it.)