Loading...
October 4, 1984 - A 600-pound VisitorPage 10A The Suffolk Times October 4, 1984 A 600 -Pound Visitor A gracious lady called me the other day and asked if I had seen the huge turtle up on the Sound beach. Being in- terested in all phases of the natural world and anxious to see this huge tur- tle, I followed her instructions and walked the beach. First to the left, then to the right, and still no turtle. Back home I called and told her of my search in vain. Apologizing and with new in- formation I again made the trip to the Sound beach at a new location. Sure enough up on the beach like a giant rock was the turtle. And it was huge. Over five feet long and probably weighing six or seven hundred pounds. It was the giant leatherback -- the largest of all our turtles. It had strayed into our waters only to die on our Sound beach. These huge turtles are usually found in warmer climates of the Atlantic but occasionally during the summer when the waters warm up they drift out of the Gulf Stream and into our waters. I've seen others on the ocean beach but never one as large as this. Unlike our land turtles that have claws for digging, this turtle had enormous flippers to swim with. Its head seemed as large as a football. It was sad to see this huge lifeless mass on our shore. What a life in the open sea this turtle must have had: trips ashore in the Tor- tugas or the Bahamas to lay its eggs, great storms, or narrow escapes from passing ships or a pursuing boat. The leatherback is the elephant of all turtles. No other grows this large. Be- cause of the change in water tempera- ture in the fall, these stragglers from the warm Atlantic waters to the south become numbed and incapable of man- euvering. Probably a storm tossed it up on our beach in just such a numbed and haflp), @M M ONT9 helpless condition. As the name implies the inch -thick shell of this turtle is soft, made up of a leathery substance satu- rated with oil. Turtles Cold Blooded All turtles are cold blooded and there- fore need warm water or the sun to stimulate their circulation. We see this particularly with our freshwater turtles such as the spotted and painted ones. These can be found in almost any pond dozing in the sun on some half -sub- merged log. As soon as you appear, they drop off and disappear into the waters below. Turtles aren't the best mothers, for they usually dig a hole in a sandy spot, deposit their eggs, cover them up and leave them for the sun to incubate. Sometimes they will hatch out in the fall after a long warm summer but often they will hold over, half - developed, through the winter till once again the sun moves north and warmer days take over. The most common big turtle we have is the snapping turtle, and how well his name expresses exactly that. This or- nery fellow should not be trusted. It grows as big as a garbage pail top and is snappy and ornery as any bulldog. It is surely not one to give your grandchild to play with. It's fond of wet places -- both fresh and salt water -- but prefers 9 NORTH FORK ARESTAURANT North Rd. , Southold between Youngs Avenue & Hortons Lane The Food, Wine, and Warmth of the North Fork Fall Schedule: Open Thurs. - Sun. LUNCHEON 12 - 2:30 DINNER 5 - 9 SUNDAY DINNER 12 - 9 SUNDAY EARLY BIRD 12 - 5 Major Credit Cards John C. Xoss 765 -2111 Chef /Owner Reservations ' ion ion Reservats U11PAk 1% I IV� 1 Suggested • Woven Wood Shades • Levolor Riviera Blinds RPM to RESTAURANT & LOUNGE • Custom Vertical Blinds • Venetian Blinds Washed Due to popular demand... we've continued our BUFFET DINNER into the fall! Every Tues., Weds., Thurs. & Fri. Evening Extensive Salad Bar • Wide Selection of Hot Entrees Steamed Mussels • Local Fresh Fish Beef • Chicken • Ham • Turkey & Other Specialties //��C��offfee • Tea 0 Milk • Ice Cream Bar with Choice of Toppings l'�il for Only $9.95 adults. $6. / 5 childrenunder12 Our Regular Menu Always Available for Lunch & Dinner Closed Mondays Route 25, Main Road, Aquebogue, L.I. 722-3602 3 miles East of Riverhead on the North Fork • Maior Credit Cards Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh GIANT LEATHERBACK TURTLE -- During the summer months these largest of all turtles occasionally move into our warmer waters from the Gulf Stream. Cooler weather spells doom for them, for being cold blooded they become numbed and incapable of maneuvering. Storms then cast-them ashore. fresh water. Like all turtle eggs, the snapper's eggs make good eating -- for any likely animal at large, that is. A raccoon, opossum or even a fox with its keen sense of smell will sniff out a clutch of turtle eggs to dine on. Their shells are usually white and are made up of a leathery consistency something like a ping pong ball. I've counted as many as 30 eggs in one snapping tur- tle's hole. The most common turtle we have is the box turtle. It's a friendly fellow that can be picked up and examined without any hesitation. But remember, all tur- tles except the snapping turtle and the diamondback are protected by law and shouldn't be kept as pets. Recently a lady told me how her nephew persuaded a box turtle to come to their back porch to eat. Here a turtle roams at large but can always be counted on for dinner. What makes this story remarkable is that it has returned each year. In Creeks and Bays A turtle more and more people are noticing around our bays and creeks is the diamondback terrapin. This turtle has webbed feet and makes an excellent swimmer. Usually you will just see the head sticking out of the water but this will disappear as soon as you approach too closely. They eat almost anything they can get their sharp powerful jaws into: mud snails, fiddler crabs, dead fish, or seaweed. This is the turtle that is often used for turtle soup and some people actually make a living trapping them and selling them in the market. A seven -inch terrapin would bring over $8. There is not a calm day goes by in the summer that you can't see the heads of the diamondback in our creeks. Most turtles are harmless, and when left alone add to our way of life. I count them as a healthy sign, for it means man has not yet taken over all the world. Turtles have difficulty surviving when all the fields are plowed, all the lots are built upon, and all the ponds are filled. This all spells disaster to the turtles. This fall our turtles will hibernate in a variety of habitats. The box turtle will burrow in the deep soft loam of our woods, the diamondback will hibernate in the mud of our creeks, and the spotted and painted turtles -- along with the contrary .snapping turtle -- will bed down in the ooze of some protected freshwater swamp. All will rest throughout the winter, their heartbeats barely noticeable. Then next spring, when once again the sun will slip north- ward and the warmth will penetrate deep, there will be a stirring and once again the turtles will appear. �cn rmu cna r cnry cvnv rJCRnu — Jma.c rwo Long Island Shades and Blinds • Stock Window Shades • Custom Wood Shutters • Kirsch Drapery Rods • Decorator Window Shades • Measurements & Installations • Verosol Pleated Shades • Woven Wood Shades • Levolor Riviera Blinds • Exterior Roller Shutters • Custom Draperies • Custom Vertical Blinds • Venetian Blinds Washed • Amber Sun Shades • In -Stock 1" Blinds & Repaired RIVERHEAD WESTHAMPTON BEACH BRIDGEHAMPTON 1285 ROUTE 58 58 RIVERHEAD ROAD MAIN STREET 727.2268 288.5599 1 537.1468 OPEN 6 DAYS Closed Monday Lunch: 12 - 2:30 Tues. - Sat. 12 - 5 Sun. Dinner: 5 -9Sun. 5 - 9 Tues. - Thurs. 5 - 10 Fri. & Sat. Third Street Greenport 477 -9821 MasterCard Visa, American Express RESTA URANT Prime Rib, Fri. & Sat...... $985 Fresh Peconic Bay Scallops 1985 Pick Your Own Price * Happy Hour 3 -5