Ooooooh. What a sight to see. What a privilege. Those tiny, determined creatures squiggling their way across the sand to be swallowed up by the sea. The miracle of instinct.
AYTT, how did you happen to come upon this? Did you know the hatchlings were there? Read about it? Part of a “tour”? Or better…tell me it was serendipity?
So here’s the story: It’s off-season in Shela, a coastal town very near the larger port city of Lamu, and we’re staying in a small hotel/riad/guest house. (We use the term riad because Lamu is a largely Muslim area of Kenya.) We are, in fact, the only guests at the guest house though it could probably accommodate 20 people. As a result, everyone in the village comes around the hotel at some point to offer up what they might have. For instance, on the first afternoon, one man came up and said “I’m the oyster man. Do you want oysters I caught for dinner?” So you shell out about five dollars and delicious fresh oysters show up at dinner time. While eating said oysters another man showed up and said “Do you want to see turtles being born in the morning?” Having promised the kids a rare morning to sleep in, we responded with “What time?” He said 6:30am, and we all decided — after a bit of discussion — that the Say Yes rule overrides the Sleep In rule so we went along. He is part of a local conservation group which is dedicated to protecting these turtles from poachers and sand crabs and making sure the turtle population makes it to the sea. So for a contribution of around $70 total, we got the chance to ride out in a boat through the narrow streams of the Kenyan coast and witness the hatching of the turtles. The same man came back at dinner that evening and asked if we wanted to “adopt” a turtle for another contribution of $25 and we now have a certificate saying that we are the proud adoptive parents of a baby sea turtle swimming somewhere in the Indian Ocean who we have named “Kelly.”
Thank you for the story of the turtles. New adventures trump sleep always!
The Lurker has long been a proponent of the “Say Yes” rule. She has lived her life following this guideline, saying “Yes” to most things, in spite of trepidation and anxiety…and it has always worked out for her, in ways she never imagined.
As my Grandpa used to say, “One thing always leads to another.” And he was right—Now there is a turtle swimming in the Indian Ocean named “Kelly”.
xox, #1FANNY
P.S. Franny, Your #1Fanny wants to know if you’re writing your song about this yeartothink?
Go Kelly! I love that story! I love “Say yes!” I love ALL of your adventures.
Several years ago, while vacationing in Cabo I got to see this, also. There were just a handful of guests that knew about it and the turtle man at the hotel had been waiting for the eggs to hatch. When they did, he brought them out to the sand and we saw them all scramble like mad to get to the ocean. It almost made me weep. I felt so privileged to be able to witness such an amazing part of nature. And it was also adorable. Baby animals are adorable.
Then the next year, other guests at the hotel had found out about it and so when the turtle man came out with the box of hatchlings he had protected, there was such a mad crush of people trying to see and touch and do everything awful that people do. Some of the baby turtles got stepped on and I had to get out of there as fast as possible. I was so angry, I wanted to cry. So I discovered that people often want to make me cry with anger and frustration and nature makes me want to cry with awe and wonder.
I’m so glad you got to see that. It was a sweet movie. And I’ve heard that singer before. Jake has introduced me to some of his other songs…
LAMU!!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES ON THIS EARTH!!! Have you found Peponi , the hotel in Shela? We also rented a house and had homemade samosas everyday…I am so happy to think that you have also witnessed that slice of paradise!!!
Great to meet you at the turtle hatching. We are now at the coast again with our family and ave just seen another hatching so we are very lucky! love your video of it!
Do hope we can meet up in LA when I am over in October. Best wishes, Nigel and Ruth
Amazing little clockworks things aren’t they? Must do it. I know you can do it somewhere up in Queensland, so I really must go and do it.
xx Kate.
Absolutely extraordinary. I watch you on vimeo now I must see all. Very much respect.
Beautiful. And such clarity… Loved it. Thanks.
Heaps nice,
Lots of Love
Ooooooh. What a sight to see. What a privilege. Those tiny, determined creatures squiggling their way across the sand to be swallowed up by the sea. The miracle of instinct.
AYTT, how did you happen to come upon this? Did you know the hatchlings were there? Read about it? Part of a “tour”? Or better…tell me it was serendipity?
#1FANNY
So here’s the story: It’s off-season in Shela, a coastal town very near the larger port city of Lamu, and we’re staying in a small hotel/riad/guest house. (We use the term riad because Lamu is a largely Muslim area of Kenya.) We are, in fact, the only guests at the guest house though it could probably accommodate 20 people. As a result, everyone in the village comes around the hotel at some point to offer up what they might have. For instance, on the first afternoon, one man came up and said “I’m the oyster man. Do you want oysters I caught for dinner?” So you shell out about five dollars and delicious fresh oysters show up at dinner time. While eating said oysters another man showed up and said “Do you want to see turtles being born in the morning?” Having promised the kids a rare morning to sleep in, we responded with “What time?” He said 6:30am, and we all decided — after a bit of discussion — that the Say Yes rule overrides the Sleep In rule so we went along. He is part of a local conservation group which is dedicated to protecting these turtles from poachers and sand crabs and making sure the turtle population makes it to the sea. So for a contribution of around $70 total, we got the chance to ride out in a boat through the narrow streams of the Kenyan coast and witness the hatching of the turtles. The same man came back at dinner that evening and asked if we wanted to “adopt” a turtle for another contribution of $25 and we now have a certificate saying that we are the proud adoptive parents of a baby sea turtle swimming somewhere in the Indian Ocean who we have named “Kelly.”
Thank you for the story of the turtles. New adventures trump sleep always!
The Lurker has long been a proponent of the “Say Yes” rule. She has lived her life following this guideline, saying “Yes” to most things, in spite of trepidation and anxiety…and it has always worked out for her, in ways she never imagined.
As my Grandpa used to say, “One thing always leads to another.” And he was right—Now there is a turtle swimming in the Indian Ocean named “Kelly”.
xox, #1FANNY
P.S. Franny, Your #1Fanny wants to know if you’re writing your song about this yeartothink?
Lovely…! xo
Gotta say: one of my favorites. xox
Go Kelly! I love that story! I love “Say yes!” I love ALL of your adventures.
Several years ago, while vacationing in Cabo I got to see this, also. There were just a handful of guests that knew about it and the turtle man at the hotel had been waiting for the eggs to hatch. When they did, he brought them out to the sand and we saw them all scramble like mad to get to the ocean. It almost made me weep. I felt so privileged to be able to witness such an amazing part of nature. And it was also adorable. Baby animals are adorable.
Then the next year, other guests at the hotel had found out about it and so when the turtle man came out with the box of hatchlings he had protected, there was such a mad crush of people trying to see and touch and do everything awful that people do. Some of the baby turtles got stepped on and I had to get out of there as fast as possible. I was so angry, I wanted to cry. So I discovered that people often want to make me cry with anger and frustration and nature makes me want to cry with awe and wonder.
I’m so glad you got to see that. It was a sweet movie. And I’ve heard that singer before. Jake has introduced me to some of his other songs…
LAMU!!!! ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES ON THIS EARTH!!! Have you found Peponi , the hotel in Shela? We also rented a house and had homemade samosas everyday…I am so happy to think that you have also witnessed that slice of paradise!!!
Kenya, always unique in many ways.
It is the most wonderful thing to see – I experienced this amazing event on the Turtle Islands of the cost of Borneo.
Fabulous!
Hi Mark, Jen, Franny and Finn,
Great to meet you at the turtle hatching. We are now at the coast again with our family and ave just seen another hatching so we are very lucky! love your video of it!
Do hope we can meet up in LA when I am over in October. Best wishes, Nigel and Ruth