The Green Turtle Nesting

The Green Turtle Nesting

A female green turtle arrived offshore at her nesting beach alone at night. She had mated earlier with a male green turtle nearby in the water. It was time for her to lay her eggs. She might nest three or four times during a single nesting season. Though she is fast and well suited to the water, she is slow, awkward, and in danger on land. The female dragged herself out of the sea and onto the beach up beyond the reach of high tide. She dug a pit for her body with her flippers. She nestled in it and used her back flippers, like shovels, to scoop out a bottle-shaped hole. Now she drops about one hundred white, leathery eggs that look like ping pong balls into this hole. When she finished, she will cover the nest with sand and slowly lumber back to the sea, leaving a trail behind her. After she is gone, poachers may follow this trail and steal her eggs... or a hungry fox may feat on them.