THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • Early Summer 2018 95 TheCoastalBend.com Port Aransas scientist and conservationist to the protection of marine wildlife of all varieties, with a special and legendary emphasis on endangered sea turtles. One of his greatest joys was the success- ful rehab and release of a turtle back to the gulf, and one was even assigned the high privilege of carrying some of Amos’ashes to sea at the memorial service for him last September. As soon as the turtle spotting was confirmed, Port A police and an ambulance unit arrived on scene, as did local volunteers who cordoned off the area around the Ridley mother’s nest, which she was still digging when officials arrived. Before long scientific staff from the ARK and from the Padre Island National Seashore’s Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Program arrived to conduct the delicate collection of the eggs once the mother turtle was finished laying them, which on this day totaled 72! The mom then made her way safely, with a VIP escort, back to the water’s edge and out to sea. Collected eggs are taken to the PINS facility where they are placed in nests known as“cor- rals”until the hatchlings are released to the Gulf of Mexico. As many as three dozen nests a day are found on Texas beaches during spring. Scientists and volunteers conduct the extraction of the eggs from the nest. The female Kemp’s Ridley makes her way back to the Gulf of Mexico A total of 72 eggs will be incubated so the hatchlings can be safely released.