returning home

This is a photo I took of a Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle being released back into the wild. It was found along the ocean beaches in November of last year cold stunned. Cold stunning is what happens when Sea Turtles are not able to make it far enough south before the ocean temperature drops below their normal tolerance. They wash up on the beaches lethargic and when found, are slowly warmed and given fluids. This turtle has been affixed with a radio transmitter on its back and the rear fins have been tagged. These turtle releases are really fun to go to - but the turtles are back in the water in a flash and you have very little control over the circumstances. As this wave rolled in it splashed up and over the turtle - but I wasn't able to get a frame with the water in the air and the head visible - the head (or at least the eye) was always obscured. Oh well.

Nikon D300s 300 f4 + 1.7X TC HH
f.8
1/1250s
ISO 320
-.33 EC

Full Frame, minor adjustments in CS5 on 27" iMac

- Luke