Green Sea Turtle Refuge~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS

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San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge has a residential group of approximately 60 protected Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtles. No one knows how they got here, but it is assumed they were caught many decades ago in Mexico, brought to the bay alive, and escaped from fishing pens, prior to being slaughtered. They settled successfully in the bay due to waters that are artificially warmed by nearby industry.

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This is the only area on the west coast of the US where green sea turtles are known to congregate and thrive.
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These turtles are an endangered species due to habitat destruction, illegal poaching, inadvertent fish netting, boat strikes, and plastic ingestion.
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San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge is one of the few safe sanctuaries for these peaceful and VERY large turtles. The largest turtle ever measured here weighed 530 lbs, which is the largest known green turtle in the Eastern Pacific.
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There is a rehab, rescue and education center in the refuge, where injured and rescued native wildlife are cared for, including a small number of green sea turtles. The center provides education on the pressing need for conservation of native species and is open to visitors.

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I was amazed at how friendly the turtles are!
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They swim to the sides of their plexiglass tank to interact and seem genuinely happy to goof around with you!
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Cheers to you from the magnificent, goofy & gregarious, seriously endangered Pacific Green Sea Turtles.
Do you want to imagine the world without them? Do you want the Trump administration to repeal existing environmental and vulnerable species protections?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.

For more info: https://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=PRD&ParentMenuId=212&id=4378

369 thoughts on “Green Sea Turtle Refuge~”

  4. “Got any lettuce?” 🙂 EVERYONE must email, call, write as often as they can to protest any change to environmental protections! All Our Relations are counting on us!!!

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    1. I agree and hope that we can do even more, but don’t what that will look like now. I am signing petitions continuously. We do need to stand up to Putin’s President and we need to do it effectively.

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    1. My kids and I have swum with them in the wild. They are awesome to swim with! We have watched them on coral reefs get cleaned by tropical fish and have seen them eating jelly fish and diving mid-ocean. I love them! 🐢🐢

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  10. Your photos of these magnificent turtles are very beautiful, Cindy! It is fortunate that they colonized the abnormally warm waters due to human activity, giving them a refuge.

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    1. It is fascinating how nature finds a way around obstacles isn’t it. Scientists estimate the first green sea turtle may have been released in San Diego Bay in 1850! 🐢

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  15. Pretty creatures, Cindy. It’s hard to get an idea of how huge they are. I’ve scuba dived with sea turtles, smaller ones, and it’s amazing how graceful they are. You’re right about their natural playfulness and curiosity. I hope their numbers increase.

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    1. They are amazingly beautiful to swim with aren’t they and so BIG that when you first see them you are scared until you see how peaceful they are. They don’t breed in the bay and the status of all ocean swimming big turtles is precarious, They keep getting caught in nets and suffocating on plastic.

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    1. So incredible! I would love to see the hatching which I never have. I have seen the nests, but never the hatching. The size of the leatherbacks is just remarkable. They are like massive living dinosaurs. How wonderful to have them around you! 🐢🐢

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    1. I wish! I have never seen them when swimming in San Diego waters, however I have in tropical seas. I would be thrilled out of my gourd to swim with them in San Diego! 🐢🐢

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    1. Aren’t they just awesome creatures! I could not get over how much they wanted to play, goof around, and interact! This really surprised me, although it shouldn’t anymore, animals are so much more sentient than we are comfortable admitting. So happy you love them too! Thank you~ 🐢🐢

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    1. I suppose bad things can yield positive outcomes if people get mobilized and concerned enough. It is our only world after all and they turtles are ancient creatures. 🐢🐢

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    1. I first went here in 1989 with my son in a stroller! I am a native La Jollan and I remember as a kid restaurants had live turtles on their backs waiting for slaughter because turtle meat apparently only tasted good fresh. It bothered me so much to see these up-ended turtles waving their legs unable to turn over. Thinking of it still bugs me. It is worth a visit to the refuge because it is a unique ecosystem right in the midst of all the industrial blight and don’t feel bad about not knowing of it, it’s small and not a well known place.

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  25. Reblogged this on Random Ramblings; Myriad Musings and commented:
    Conservation of the environment and wildlife has always been important to me. With the new administration coming in and set to repeal necessary protections, it is more important than ever. I’d hate to see a world without these magnificent turtles, among other species!

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    1. Thank you for knowing, caring and sharing my friend. <3 These are such ancient creatures that swim up to 1500 miles a year. I want them to stay and thrive on this planet, not be annihilated by human ignorance. 🐢🐢

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      1. Agreed – they are fascinating, wonderful, beautiful creatures! It’s frustrating that human ignorance still contributes to the endangerment of these, and other, fantastic critters.

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  28. Thank you so much for sharing your photos of these beautiful beings with us! In my past, when I lived closer to the ocean, had the opportunity to spend time with beings like this and it is very humbling. They are very wise.

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    1. Wonderful that you can know this and I agree with you. Their navigational abilities alone are beyond remarkable. They travel thousands of miles and return to the same nesting spot year after year if they are able to survive. Remarkable creatures. 🐢🐢

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  33. Great post, Cindy. Green sea turtles are so wonderful but also vulnerable, it’s great to hear about the SD Bay refuge. Your photos reflect the beauty and wisdom of this remarkable creature, and your words are appreciated for emphasizing the importance of their survival. Thanks so much.

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  34. I was going to make a disparaging remark about the soon to be Trump administration but thought better of it. But since you asked, we have no idea how many years of progress we will be set back by him and his cohorts who don’t believe in public education, the right to choose, endangered species, climate change, preservation of natural resources and on and on. Nothing will be safe except for the worst of capitalism. Obviously I’m anti-Trump. But I’m pro-turtle!

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  35. Cindy: I just listed a rehab for turtles in Boca Raton-Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. We actually witnessed medic taking a fishing hook out of the mouth of one. It was sad and yet hopeful that these creatures are being found, rescued and cared for. The photos are stunning!

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    1. Yes, hope floats! Thank you for sharing the info on Boca Raton’s 🐢rescue. The people, creatures, and 🌎, need our help, our concern and our active love. <3

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  40. Great photos of beautiful creatures. We keep trying to educate but it seems to be going out one ear into someones pocket. Don’t even get me started on that sociopath. I’m trying to feel better since the election and am needing to keep the TV off to keep my blood pressure down. We have lost so much to greed that it’s heart wrenching.

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    1. A psychiatrist I respect wrote a piece recommending watching the news once a week to prevent the depression, anger and anxiety befalling his patients post the Trumpest. Stella Resnick, a sex therapist in LA has published on “The Trump Effect,” which is a decline in sexual desire among her married female patient’s since the Trumpest’s election. They are feeling rather put off men I guess. So you are not alone by a long shot. I just think of Trump as Putin’s president and we are all going to get a taste of soviet life, God help us!

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      1. I see a Hitler reincarnate. You have no idea how frightened I was. I’m trying to focus on the good in the world. I tape the news and watch fast forward with no sound. I see what I need to and let the rest vanish. A lot of good people voted for him thinking he would make it better. Oh, well. Glad I’m old and have no grandchildren. 🙁

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        1. I hear you and I know that there are so many of us fighting despondency over how far backwards we are sliding. Hugs to you and it is not over yet! Not by a long shot! <3 <3

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  41. How wonderful to see these beautiful turtles. I’m so excited about it. Thank you so much. And I think we should put trump in polluted water for about, um 80 years and let the turtles stay safe. He’s pretty much uneducated and insane.

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    1. “put trump in polluted water for about, um 80 years and let the turtles stay safe.”
      This of course, is why the 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢, and I, and all thinking, feeling people, on this planet love you! <3 <3

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  42. Superb photos Cindy.
    Sad to hear that these great turtles are endangered, but like many other creatures of the wild, unless dedicated people make the effort to protect them, we’ll probably end up with another extinct species.

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    1. Pathetic isn’t it. I wonder what the results would be if an effort were made to measure the human species cumulative impact on this planet, both good and bad. I suspect I may know the direction the results would lead and they are not complementary to our species.

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  43. Beautiful turtle, fabulous captures!

    I don’t want that man to do anything. I want to wake up in an alternate reality. Thank you for asking 😉

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  45. I’d love to see these beautiful creatures continue to be protected, for sure. I had the distinct and amazing pleasure of swimming with sea turtles in Hawaii in several places where we snorkeled. They were unperturbed by our presence and just swam alongside us.

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  47. Pingback: Turtle Sanctuary in San Diego |

        1. Tortoises and turtles are both reptiles. Tortoises like the giant Galapagos tortoise, and a variety of other tortoises are land dwellers, turtles are aquatic or semi aquatic. They are the same family, but one lives on land, the other mostly in water.

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  51. Like our endangered friends , this election is a reminder not to take for granted what we hold so dear – and when it is threatened, to stand up and fight. Beautiful photos – as always.

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      1. The turtle-friendly “waters that are artificially warmed by nearby industry” are among the RARE examples of unintended consequences that are welcome rather then unwelcome. Many more of the usual kind are on the way, as Trumpery picks up speed.

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        1. Yes exactly. The same thing happened at The San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. The warm outflow supported non-resident marine life. It is an unintended consequence. In the case of the turtles it is positive since they are so endangered.

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  52. Okay, I’ve figured it out. There has to be some kind of magnet inside you that calls to all animals and birds or whatever the critter may be, and when you come around they can’t help but come close and photogenically pose for your camera.
    AND to pose in absolutely no way that is a threat to you or your well being. It’s not unlike the phenomena of the “pied piper.” So I’m changing your previous title from Bird Queen to Critter Queen!!! Love and hugs, N 🙂 <3

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    1. Oh I am smiling! I wish it were so. I do sometimes feel that wild animals are interested in me because I am an odd creature to them. I have this strange camera with no tripod and this adjustable telephoto lens that is always plastered against my face. They often seem to stare directly into the lens as if they are fascinated by it attached to this moving creature and are not sure precisely what I sort of creature I am. Laughing….. Whatever, it works and I love them. Thank you for making me smile!

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        1. Well definitely go! I would love to see your post. it is a small operation. Not impressive entertainment wise, unless you care about they are trying to do. I have lived here all my life and I never knew until recently, that turtles escaped the horrid scene I saw them subjected to in restaurants when I was young. It is so incredible they established their own place in the San
          Diego Bay. This is the most amazing thing to me~

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  56. I am glad you mentioned they were goofy and playful – I would have never guessed it from their expression 😀 Or maybe they dont wear their heart on their sleeves? Lovely photos Cindy, thank you for giving us another priceless glimpse and insight.

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  57. Fantastic series, Cindy. What fabulous creatures. I was a “turtle lady” in SC for many years and loved every minute. (Loggerheads) Thanks for these great close-ups.

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    1. Oh how wonderful that must have been! Did you read, “The Wildest Woman in America,” about the turtle lady of Cumberland island? Remarkable lifetime commitment to turtle conservation.

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  58. Ahhh beautiful! We witnessed turtles laying eggs on ths sand when we lived in Nicaragua and we are apparently going to see them here in Sri Lanka soon, as it is the breeding season

    Lovely photos, blissful post. Thanks!
    Peta.

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  60. Aren’t they beautiful? You got really great photo’s too. I thought at first you were out for a swim with them or something…LOL ! I don’t know if I should have an opinion about Trump but it’s not a favourable one and that’s putting it mildly. Maybe he’ll get repealed? One can hope. Gah! I can’t see him running the country for the next four years. You’re going to have to fire him. Oh Cindy, is it all a bad dream? xo K

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    1. Yes, it’s all a very bad dream. But, unfortunately, it’s one we can’t wake up from. I love what JK Rowlings said when someone told her not to criticize Trump because she was British and it was “None of her business.”
      She said, “He has access to the nuclear codes, you better believe it’s my business!”

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  61. Is this the same type of turtle often found in Hawaiian waters? I recall the first time I saw a giant, green turtle, head poking up from the water like a periscope beside a startled body boarder to get a view of the human who was just chilling in the water. Funny and cute!

    By the way, any mention of turtles makes me think of that “I like turtles” boy who became an internet sensation – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMNry4PE93Y Yep, what he said, plain and simple!

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    1. Laughing….. smart 🐢🐢! Lots of sea creatures do this. Whales when they breech for tourists giving them those great shots with a little something extra! Penguins projectile vomit on you if they don’t like you. And birds, well birds, have such wonderful opportunities for revenge! Cracking up…..

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      1. Also in the Maldive I got divebombed by a pair of terns when I got too near their nestsite. Fortunately I was in the sea at the time and had a quick sluice off. I can tell you that tern crap smells like something from beyond the grave.

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  63. These turtles almost look like they’d have their own little personalities. And I guess they would.
    There is a folk story about a sea turtle in Japan – a fisherman, Taro, one day saved a Sea Turtle from a group of naughty children and released it back to the sea. Some time after, a turtle appeared before Taro, thanked him for saving its life, and wished to invite him to visit an underwater paradise. Turtle took Taro on its back, and it turns into a beautiful woman as they arrived at the paradise. Taro spent some time at the paradise, which was all about pleasure and luxury, however he eventually asked the woman if she would take him back to the shore; that he needed to go home. She gave Taro a box of gift, and made Taro promise never to open the box. Upon return, Taro realises that he had been gone for hundreds of years and he no longer knew a person in his old fishing village. He desperately looked for any familiarity, and finally, could not resist opening the box . When he opened to look inside the box, all it came out was smoke. And the smoke turned Taro into a very old man.

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    1. Wow! That gives me goosebumps! What an amazing story. What should Taro have done I wonder, never go with the turtle, or stay forever in paradise under the sea? Remarkable Maiko. Thank you for sharing this with me.

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      1. Interesting message, isn’t it? Those were the questions I was asked when I was young as well. I did not know the answer. I still don’t think I do. May be it is teaching that good deed should not be done in expectation for a return. Either way, I am glad you found it interesting Cindy.

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  67. They are beautiful and fascinating creatures like all other mammals. I did not know of the repeals in place or considered, but hope it can be saved or reversed to allow these creatures and others endangered to be saved, cared for and preserved.

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      1. The world has gone all tops-turvy.

        Perhaps Trump thinks he can use business skills to get the better of Putin. Putin must be laughing at the thought.

        I think it’s probable that in all the confusion very little will get done. We (the world) will just put you (USA) on hold while we check with a supervisor. 😀 😀

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        1. Laughing……Oh how I wish that would work!!!
          “Excuse me US, we are going to put you on hold for four years until we can speak with a supervisor, or you get a new president.”
          You crack me up……

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  72. I love turtles and anyone who rescues them. I have rescued some in our area (walking across the road from the pond) and those beaks can really bite! Lovely shots, Cindy. 🐢

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        1. Oh my God, I can’t believe you mentioned this. I took my kids and some friends to the zoo when they were little and the tortoises were going at it, gasping and carrying on, one little boy Kenny, reached over the enclosure and started petting the strenuously involved male tortoise on the head crying “Help him, help him! He’s having trouble breathing!”
          No lie! This happened! I almost popped trying to contain my laughter~

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  74. Cindy, dear friend, I very much appreciate your speaking out about the dangers we face with a Trump administration. Your bravery has not gone unnoticed. 💖 And it goes without saying how much I appreciate your beautiful photography … 💖

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  75. I love turtles and feel so badly for their precarious livelihood. Your post and photos made me smile! 💜I didn’t know there wasn’t wildlife refuge there…will have to put that on my to-visit list!

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  76. Wonderful post, Cindy, as always! Beautiful creatures, and as you say, all living creatures are important to our planet and the biodiversity. In Scandinavia we are absolutely terrified of what Trump might destroy…It is not only America…it is concerning the whole world. We were overjoyed when Meryl Streep spoke out and so many other celebrities do. Now we are waiting for the interviews with his new “crew”. His taking over will be a disastrous blow to nature and environmental restoring and preserving. Anyway – I love your speaking out and standing up for nature. We all must. ♥♥♥

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  78. Turtles, turtles rah, rah, rah! Oh, I love turtles. And I am talking about the real ones. Not those sickly sweet chocolate variety. These gentle giants are beautiful. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to slaughter them. Thanks for these awesome pictures, Cindy!

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  79. Reblogged this on Breeze of Optimism and commented:
    There is a folk story about a sea turtle in Japan.
    A fisherman, Taro, one day saved a Sea Turtle from a group of naughty children and released it back to the sea.
    Some time after, a turtle appeared before Taro, thanked him for saving its life, and wished to invite him to visit an underwater paradise. Turtle took Taro on its back, and it turns into a beautiful woman as they arrived at the paradise. Taro spent some time at the paradise, which was all about pleasure and luxury, however he eventually asked the woman if she would take him back to the shore; that he needed to go home. She gave Taro a box of gift, and made Taro promise never to open the box.
    Upon return, Taro realises that he had been gone for hundreds of years and he no longer knew a person in his old fishing village. He desperately looked for any familiarity, and finally, could not resist opening the box . When he opened to look inside the box, all it came out was smoke. And the smoke turned Taro into a very old man.

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    1. Ja. Wir haben einer langen Dürre in Kalifornien. Es regnet gerade. Das ist sehr gut fur uns. Wir sind Anfang April wieder in Deutschland und freuen uns darauf. Prost zu dir mein lieber Freund ~

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  82. They are indeed large turtles. When in Maui, I had the opportunity to swim with these guys. They would come right up underneath me and swim along. Turtles swim much faster than they walk. LOL. They can be very playful.

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    1. They are wonderful to swim with aren’t they! So graceful and powerful in the water and you noticed their curiosity and interactiveness. So happy you had this experience!

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  85. Cindy – You do know how to ask the hard questions don’t you? I’ve been for protecting the environment and all endangered species before we even had an agency that’s supposedly doing such a thing. However, like most agencies, it’s run by a group of contractors who get paid rather they do anything or not or know anything or not.
    I’m picking my battles one at a time this year, but picking them, I am. Needless to say, I’m after healthcare first but what’s good health without the appropriate atmosphere to live in and therefore our need for these majestic sea turtles you’ve so aptly brought to our attention.
    I’ve had enough of a do nothing government so let’s see if the DC swamp can be drained. It looks to me like the cabinet posts are being filled by more of the same! It’s no surprise to me it took so long to fill the Secretary of the VA position. No one wanted the position. Happy New Year my magical lady.

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    1. At least we have the otters back in your beloved Carmel and Monterey. We are heading up to see the elephant seals and California Condors in Big Sur as soon as the rain clears. (Yay for the rain! Poor California needed it so!) There has been progress on vulnerable species protections with these species as examples. Otters were extinct throughout my lifetime in the state until Monterey Aquarium re-introduced them, and the elephant seals were practically non-existent. Now we have breeding colonies of both. California Condors are another success story, saved from the brink in the state, thanks to the Condor Restoration Program. Bald Eagles are back too, thanks to the efforts of The Channel Islands Bald Eagle Restoration Project. There is still so much more though that needs to be done and whatever we do we cannot go backwards and remove protections for vulnerable species and habitats. You fight for healthcare Sherri and I’ll fight for this, and we can support each others efforts in the process. Hugs to you my friend~ <3

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      1. Cindy, Thank you for helping save all that makes Monterey/Carmel magical. Without the living sea creatures you mention above, we wouldn’t have the magic that makes the Central Coast what it is. I often here the Sea Lions bark in my dreams. Working on Fort Ord, I could walk out the back door of my office and listen to them bark. On Pier II there’s a restaurant made from a hulled out ship [Sandollar or something along that line – best Rebeun in Monterey] and you could look out your window and watch the sea lions and otters playing. I think I here Heaven calling my name. I pray Tom will heal enough to make 1 more trip to the area but I just don’t know. I will return!

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  86. Goregous captures of the turtles, Cindy. They are so cute and look so friendly, I’d love to swim with them. <3
    Thank you for sharing the interesting narrative, dear friend! 🙂

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    1. They are pretty magical to swim with. So gentle, so graceful and so BIG!!! I appreciate knowing you Dina and value the thoughtful way you visit me. Be well my friend~ <3

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  89. What curious animals– why do they seem old and smart?? Looks like they live in a comfortable setting. Thanks for giving us a peek Cindy with your always awesome photography!!

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  90. As a non-American it is not up to me to criticize your president to be – even if I try to follow the news there and here… but somehow I do wish someone would just ‘magic’ him away… :-/
    Lovely photos! And lovely animals!… 🙂

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  92. Bonjour ou Bonsoir ★* *★ CINDY joli la faune aquatique

    Ce jour
    J’écoute Le Vent

    Me souffler des mots puissants et attachants
    A mon oreille il est venu me murmurer

    Des élans d’amitié avec des envies de liberté

    Me dire combien notre amitié compte entre toi et moi
    Une Amitié avec un grand A
    je te souhaite une excellente journée ou soirée’
    Une douce belle journée si je suis de journée

    Ou une tendre nuit si mon passage est du soir

    Gros bisous

    http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/935239jeune.gif

    ​

    Bernard

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  93. The pictures are incredible. Did you take them? Trump’s philosophy on the environment and global warming, as in other areas, is seriously concerning. Who knows where we’ll be headed in the next four years? Troubling. Happy New Year. Smiles xx

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    1. Well we certainly will find out. There are a lot of checks and balances built into the system which hopefully will work as they should, but you are right, it is seriously concerning. I did take the photos and I am glad you enjoyed them and am pleased to meet you~

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  95. Sandhya

    Cindy, you have captured the personalities of these turtles so well! I especially love the expression of the one who is raising his/her ‘arms’ in victory that a talented photographer like you has photographed them!

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  101. It is my experience that we get what we focus on. It does not matter if it is positive or negative. Beautiful amazing creatures surround you because you have focused your life on the beautiful and amazing. Trump was elected because those who wanted him elected and many of those who did NOT want him elected focused their attention on him — incessantly. So I will support you in the desire for maintaining and enhancing the notion that ALL living creatures deserve to live peaceful, harmonious, healthy lives.It may sound like just a rearranging of words to say this rather than fighting against Trump repealing the environmental protection laws. But the statements will bring about two very different results. Peace and thank you for bringing beauty and amazement to my day.

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    1. Intriguing & interesting way of looking at the world. I do very much agree with you that focusing on the beauty and the amazing things around you makes you happier and more able to perceive more of the beauty around you. And I also agree with you that all living things deserve “peaceful, harmonious lives.” But I wonder what the American slaves, or WWII concentration camp internees, or parents who have children who die of cancer, and so many more people who suffer so terribly and unfairly, would say about their focus bringing about their results? They certainly didn’t get what (they) focused on.

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      1. These people certainly did not get what they deserved. To me the Law of Attraction is non-judgmental. To explain this I’m working on a few blog posts to explain why bad things can happen to good people. No matter if we agree. I am glad that you focus so much of your time on bringing beauty to the world. <3

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        1. Thank you for such a level headed response. It’s not important to me that people agree with me. I values diversity of people, values, beliefs and practices. I don’t want everyone to agree with me or vis versa. I am glad that you share acceptance of divergent belief. I find your philosophy interesting and agree with parts of it. Hugs to you my friend~ <3

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          1. Hugs to you too. It would be a pretty boring world if all agreed with everyone about everything. As you say it is not important we agree, it is important we accept divergent beliefs. Peace.

            Hope the rain is falling in just the right amount in the Holler.

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  110. Stunning photos of these gentle and beautiful creatures. I love turtles – I love all wildlife, flora, and nature. We are the caretakers of our planet and must protect all endangered species. It is not only our duty but a mandate. I am thankful for the sanctuary and for the information you shared.

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  111. Super images Cindy.
    Are you aware of Ocean Cleanup’s efforts? Find them on FB to see/support their efforts…out of the Netherlands…this group deserves massive support and Trump cannot interfere…I recently saw photos of beached/stranded turtles engulfed in fishing lines…a true crime and horrible death for these wonderful sea creatures. Diane

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    1. It is horrible to see creatures ensnared in our drift nets, plastic beer can holders, the massive plastic wastelands in the oceans, over fishing. We were in Antarctica and the sea creatures came up to us totally unafraid and then we saw the whalers come with their booming harpoons killing the minke whales we were playing with just a few minutes ago. Ocean Cleanup sounds wonderful!

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  113. Simply beautiful, Cindy! I am happy these turtles have a sanctuary…just like we have one here in Clearwater Marine Aquarium/Hospital. One of the things I am most afraid of with the incoming administration is an eventual relaxation and roll-back of environmental protections.

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      1. Those wake me up too, plus the already ongoing repeal of ACA, which is likely to hit hard so many of our fellow human beings, especially those who are already sick, the self-employed and those working in small enterprises. I know many of them. So sad.

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  115. Cindy, I can rarely find a mean bone in my body, or a nasty thought in my head, but, if Trump really does do everything he tweets about or says on TV, I really think he should be put in a secure tank, with special protection orders, not as an endangered species but as an endangering one. There, I have said my piece; now I better wash my mouth out with soap on behalf of all the words I said but didn’t dare print. 😀

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    1. I feel the same struggle you are feeling. I don’t want to get pulled into negativity but I woke up last night dreaming of nuclear war. I have never dreamed of nuclear war.

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        1. I used to be quite a worrier and am less so now, at least I used to be less so, but I have noticed a significant increase lately, unfortunately. Towards the end of the Vietnam war I used to worry intensely about people I loved getting drafted, now these sorts of worries, after decades of peaceful slumber are returning. Thank you Mr. Trump.

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            1. Well, actually he is a chronic insomniac. Sleeps at most 4 hours a night. Maybe he should start to ask himself why? Maybe there is a conscience in there yearning to get out~

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  116. My Dear Cindy,
    Your photos are gorgeous, but the info you impart is sad.
    What is wrong with us? i do believe the planet is treacherously overpopulated.
    Your photos may be all that is left one day. TY for taking them! xx

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    1. There really is a divide between two groups of people on this planet, those who wish to save lives and prevent suffering in both human and animals, and those who are insensitive to taking lives and are unconcerned with other creature’s suffering. Now the divide is becoming very clear, especially in the US.

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  118. Pingback: Green Sea Turtle Refuge~ | writerchristophfischer

  120. Gorgeous photos as always, Cindy! I don’t believe I’ve seen turtles from such closeup angles before. It’s very interesting, and it’s breathtaking how beautiful these creatures are.

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  126. Love this post, Cindy! We have a turtle rescue near here and every year we get to see turtle laying their eggs and if we are really lucky we get to see a nest erupt and little babies try to make it to the ocean! It’s awesome! Hope you are super!

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      1. Cindy…I’ve only seen one while it was happening…and I was so disoriented because the sand was bubbling like boiling water…it threw my balance off!! But so incredible to see those babies wobble to the shore!! Blessings to you ♡

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  127. I like how gentle turtles appear as they paddle and glide through the water. You captured their peaceful presence and had me saying, “You go, all those who support sea turtle sanctuaries!” <3

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