Maggie’s Not gun related, but I made the local news Wed!

[Mustafa]

Started a little non-profit last month training/handling conservation dogs to detect endangered sea turtle nests on Padre Island, Texas. Went down Wed to train the dogs on real nests for the first time and ended up on the local news!



https://www.kiiitv.com/article/news...t-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-nests/503-560058902

 

[Marinevet1]

Great idea, and a great job......the sea turtles need all the help they can get........do you have a site where contributions to your cause can be made?

 

[vh20]

Gotta laugh - that still-frame looks like you just B-slapped her.

 

[Mustafa]

Marinevet1, GoFundMe for straight donations, or T-Shirts to buy shirts that support the cause! And THANKS!

vh20, I didn't even NOTICE that until you said it, and now it CAN'T be unseen! I'm dying laughing here!!!!

 

[MtnCreek]

Ummm, scrambled sea turtle eggs.

 

[TripleBull]

Ummm, scrambled sea turtle eggs.

You're going straight to Turtle Hell!!!

 

[pmclaine]

Which ranger are you the blonde or brunette?

 

[Mustafa]

neither. I'm the wizard with the dog.

 

[pmclaine]

neither. I'm the wizard with the dog.

Oh, my bad, sorry.

Wait a minute as gun people I thought we hated all forms of life.

WTF is wrong with you saving Ridleys?

You see endangered species why not moving targets you dont have to lead?

 

[jrassy]

Good luck,cool shirt .

 

[oneshot86]

Ummm, scrambled sea turtle eggs.

with a slab of gopher tortoise meat

 

[Waorani]

Archie Carr would be impressed!

 

[TripleBull]

with a slab of gopher tortoise meat

When I was a kid in scouting, my dad and other WWII vets set us loose on survival hikes. Turtle eggs and meat tastes damn good when you're hungry.

Hell, an orange peel is better than chewing air.

 

[2ndamendfan]

Good on you Mustafa. Does remind me of a funny story.
Couple years ago I was on Grand Cayman Island. On a tour we were headed to a sea turtle farm. As we got closer the guide explained that the island has no area to support cows, goats, pigs, sheep. I knew exactly were this was going. After a little more explaination he finally said the words "we eat them". Lady in front of me screamed "you eat them?!". And to that I said " that explains the term "farm" and not "sanctuary". A few laughed, she started crying.

They did say that the meat can not leave the island and that they do release about 10% in to the wild each year.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Very cool!

I always said that carrying signs and boycotting things... wastes time and doesn't help the wildlife. All those urban "I care from the comfort of my condo" man bun types... do nothing for the ecology where the rubber hits the road.

Getting out and helping the wildlife... actually helps the wildlife!

Fantastic post and story! Good on ya!

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[Mustafa]

Thanks Sirhr!

2Afan, native populations often have special dispensations in cases like that.

Jrassy, thank you!

pmclaine, Damn it! Did I fuck that up again?! Shit! Lol... One of my favorite arguments to get in is "trophy hunting" but hunting in general puts WAY more money into conservation than individual donations from kind-hearted liberals.

The problem with the Kemp's ridley in particular is that they used to only nest on one beach in the world, Rancho Nuevo, and when word got out where they nested (40,000 in one day in 1947) the poachers showed up. Within 20 years, there were less than 1,000 nesting turtles. Luckily, the conservation efforts with these guys (which included introducing them to nesting in Texas) has really made a difference. There were about 8,000 turtles that nested in one day in Mexico this year! Biggest nesting day in 40 years!

Also, if anyone is in Texas, they will do a bunch of hatchling releases that are open to the public starting mid June at Padre Island National Seashore!

Here is the first video taken of their nesting in 1947.


Here is the one from a few weeks ago!

 

[pmclaine]

Thanks Sirhr!

2Afan, native populations often have special dispensations in cases like that.

Jrassy, thank you!

pmclaine, Damn it! Did I fuck that up again?! Shit! Lol... One of my favorite arguments to get in is "trophy hunting" but hunting in general puts WAY more money into conservation than individual donations from kind-hearted liberals.

The problem with the Kemp's ridley in particular is that they used to only nest on one beach in the world, Rancho Nuevo, and when word got out where they nested (40,000 in one day in 1947) the poachers showed up. Within 20 years, there were less than 1,000 nesting turtles. Luckily, the conservation efforts with these guys (which included introducing them to nesting in Texas) has really made a difference. There were about 8,000 turtles that nested in one day in Mexico this year! Biggest nesting day in 40 years!

Also, if anyone is in Texas, they will do a bunch of hatchling releases that are open to the public starting mid June at Padre Island National Seashore!

Here is the first video taken of their nesting in 1947.


Here is the one from a few weeks ago!

Primordial!

Horse shoe crabs do something similar basing their mass migration and filling the water with sperm and eggs based on some phase of the moon.

You wouldn't think a horseshoe crab would face extinction seeing as it has survived since when megladons used to roam the seas but apparently the blood of a horseshoe crab has unique properties that are useful in the medical field.

When an infection vector gets into a horseshoe crabs blood stream the blood congeals around it making it harmless. So the horseshoe crab is completely immune to infection......I guess they never get strokes related to blood clots either.

My understanding is the blood is used to check the sterility of medical instruments after being cleaned.

Any way Pleasant Bay on Cape Cod was a major trafficking area for horseshoe blood which sold at huge dollar numbers per quart. People would go to the beach on the right full moon nights and walk among the squirting semen and crab eggs bloodletting the crabs to recover the cash contained there in thus killing the crabs and preventing their ability to reproduce.

Within a short period of time the population was crashing.

I think now they have ersatz products to mimic horseshoe crab blood or some other means of obtaining their supplies without killing those sea bottom tanks.

 

[Mustafa]

That's really neat! I had no idea horeshoe crab blood was useful! But it is pretty crazy and sad how fast we can bring a species to the brink (0r beyond) when they are suddenly useful.

 

[johnnycat]

Great t-shirt and great cause. When I'm diving I love to see sea turtles.

 

[Mustafa]

Thanks Johnnycat! I'm hoping to get to see some diving sometime too!

 

[Wildfire1550]

Very cool

 

[Mustafa]

Thanks Wildfire! Just got back from another few days at the beach training the dogs. This morning, we went to a wildlife rehabilitation center to talk about assisting them in their turtle nest detection efforts next year. While there, they offered to show me (and the pups!) around their facility. Awesomeness ensued!


The turtles were VERY curious about the dogs and the dogs were very UNNERVED by the turtles! Saul (GSD) VERY cautiously approached and gave this green turtle a little sniff. Now they know what they are ACTUALLY looking for on their searches!

 

[PDXGS]

Nice work M
I worked with K9s for Wilderness SAR.... They were the best colleagues I've ever had.

 

[Mustafa]

PDXGS, yeah, the black GSD is also trained for wilderness, live area search as well. I also have a HRD dog. Dogs > People for sure!

 

[MosesTheTank]

Mustafa, that is wonderful work. We used to spend some time working to protect turtles on Dog Island (Florida) when we had a place there.

For those of you who like to put back a six-pack and have ever worried about turtles and plastic:

https://www.craftbeer.com/editors-picks/saltwater-brewery-creates-edible-six-pack-rings

 

[Mustafa]

Moses, Thanks! I saw those six pack rings and I REALLY want to try to get a local brewery (Austin area) to pick them up and do a joint event with me and the dogs to celebrate!

Pretty awesome that you did work to help turtles in FL, too! I'm not sure what all folks are doing out there except that Disney World has sea turtle nest detection dogs as well!

 

[Maggot]

NIce work. Ive been going out to Padre since 1969 when I first moved to Texas to attend UCC (University of Corpus christi). Beautiful place...the beach not the school which was left over NAS barracks.. We used to rent a big tent and party for the whole weekend out on Malaquite.

 

[Mustafa]

@Maggot, That's awesome! It is a really pretty beach. ESPECIALLY when you get a good ways down the coast away from the regular tourists.

 

[Maggot]

@Maggot, That's awesome! It is a really pretty beach. ESPECIALLY when you get a good ways down the coast away from the regular tourists.

Jus be sure to have 4 whell drive. I got stuck badly one evening by going about 5 yards too far south.

 

[Mustafa]

TRUTH! I have a 4wd Tacoma that handles the sand great, but I've seen a number of vehicles stuck out there. Right past the 20 mile marker is the worst spot on the beach for that!