Tracks in the Sand

Each night during sea turtle nesting season, researchers walk the nesting beaches looking for tracks of nesting turtles that go up but have not yet returned. The goal is to find turtles in the right stage of nesting so that we can safely install a temperature data-logger in the nest for a long-term project on natural incubation temperatures. Sometimes, researchers have to wait until the turtles is laying eggs, the safe time to do the work. This was our view of a loggerhead turtle's incoming track while we waited. The contrast of the low moonlight on the deep flipper and footprints made for a dramatic view of the track, while low waves lapped at the water's edge some 12 meters away. Since artificial lighting can distract nesting turtles, this image was a time-exposure.