Caching Around Surf City and Topsail Beach, NC 9/29/2008

Monday we decided to get some of the caches in this area as it would also allow us to see some of the local area. Our first cache was right up the road from our campgrounds in Soundside Park in Surf City. It was a quick find as it was under one of about 50 large sea shells around the park sign. After we found the cache we looked around the lovely little park that sat on the inland waterway. They had several picnic shelters, a play ground, and a boat launch. It was well kept and would be a lovely spot for a picnic. Our next cache was under a light pole in front of a local beach store. Then we were off to a access to a lovely spot along the inland waterway and a cache placed in honor of the fraygirls up in Wilmington, NC. It was supposed to be a beautiful spot to watch the sunset and from seeing it in the day light we felt that it would be. Next we drove to Holly Ridge and a cache located behind a medical services office. The container was a new find for us because it was a very large hypodermic needle stuck in the grown with the log inside it. Next cache was located at a forest ranger tower along RT 17. Then we drove farther down RT 17 south to a location that was a virtual cache. It was the site of a small lighthouse, a large mushroom with a frog on top, 2 large boat anchors, and a small dory all made of concrete.
Then we had to drive back toward Surf City in order to get to Topsail Beach as the road from Surf City was the only way to get out onto the island. Our 2 caches there were both virtuals with the first one located at the local community center and had to do with a Talos anti-aircraft missle that was on display there. Once we got the information we needed from the marker we drove to The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center which is a sea turtle sanctuary committed to the care and release of sick and injured sea turtles. It was a shame that it had closed for the season as we would have loved to be able to go through it. During 2008 the hospital had 16 patients of which 8 are still in the hospital, 7 were released back into the sea and one unfortunately died in June. The indoor facility features a flow through water exchange system. Water continually pumps from the sound into the individual turtle tanks. The water then returns to the sound via an overflow pipe and drain. During the winter months the water is pumped from the sound into the outdoor reservoir tanks and heated to 75 degrees F or 22 degrees C. The indoor facility also includes fresh running hot and cold water, laundry facilities, and examination space with medical equipment and supplies. In NC the nesting season for turtles is mid-May through August. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle comes ashore to nest 3 to 5 times during a nesting year. She deposits an average of 120 eggs per nest. The eggs will incubate in the sand for about 60 days. After all the hatchlings have pipped out of their eggs, they emerge from the nest together and race to the sea. Weighing in at about two ounces, their first challenge on our beach is escaping the deadly grasp of the ghost crabs. Once in the water they must hide from both bird and fish predators, and the swim to sea weed rafts and the Sargasso Sea begins. It is a long swim to maturity. It is estimated that 1 in 1000 survives the first year, and as few as 1 in 5,000 - 10,000 survive to adulthood. No one has the answer to this.
In 20 to 30 years the surviving hatchlings will reach adulthood. The females will return to their natal beaches to lay their eggs and the cycle begins again. Topsail Island has 26 miles of coastline. Each mile is surveyed every morning to identify sea turtle tracks and nests from May through August. It really was a shame that it was closed as we would have loved to see the inside. Once we got the information we needed there we drove to a beach access and went to look at the ocean. The view from the top of the dunes was magnificent, miles and miles of open beach without a lot of high rise buildings as all they have there is homes along the ocean front. Then we drove back to the coach and had lunch and Mom did our b logs and I worked on the blog. We went out for dinner to a Italian restaurant in Surf City as we really couldn't find a sea food place that had good reviews or was open on Mondays. Dinner was good and we went back to the coach and we watched some TV and I turned in. Well time to say until tomorrow from Myrtle Beach we love you all. Mom & Dad