The Foxes and the Cartwrights

Clarence Town, Long Island

9 April 2011

Photos by Wendy Edler

The Fox boys, Dylan and Alexander from Salt Pond, arrived at 0900 and off we went in the speed boat to tag a few turtles at Lochabar Beach before the Cartwrights arrived. Roger Cartwright had said he would be down by 1100 with his son Tyler and a couple of friends in his Boston Whaler.

I gave the Foxes the usual options, “You can jump the turtles, swim after them, or use the dip net.” Dylan and Alexander had gone with me before so they knew the drill. Alexander decided he would jump as we chased the first turtle. Right off it was obvious the boys had good eyes. They saw everything, and passing turtles didn’t distract them from the target. Alexander jumped twice and caught the first turtle.

Dylan tried next, but had a trouble with his timing, so he picked up the net and almost immediately got the knack. When we headed into the dock to pick up Wendy Edler the boys had put six green turtles in the boat. Wendy was coming along to take photos. The Cartwrights were late, so we headed back to Lochabar to keep working until they arrived.

The Boys Catch a Green Turtle in the Dip Net

We put one more green turtle in the boat and were chasing another, when we saw a loaded Whaler headed our way.

The Cartwrights Arrive

Roger stood by while we caught our turtle then came alongside to get a plan. There was a high neap tide, so if we were quick we could catch a few in the small hole before we got trapped by the ebb. Tyler and “Dutch Boy” (Earl Knowles) hopped into our boat and we motored carefully up the creek and across the flats into the hole. We caught all the turtles we chased, and both boats had four turtles before the tide started dropping and we had to leave.

Tyler Dives on a Green Turtle

With perfect weather and plenty of talent we headed for the main channel to catch the larger turtles. There is a wonderful habitat in 10-15’ at the end of the channel into Clarence Town where it turns toward the Flying Fish Marina and the government dock. There are pastures of turtle grass and escape routes to deeper water. Over the years we have worked in this habitat, but you need good weather, and Barbara and I cannot catch many alone.

To lighten the boats we put all our turtles ashore on Strachan Cay. We agreed to catch only one turtle in the Strachan beach habitat on our way out to the channel. Tyler got one.

Roger and Dutch Boy and the young spotters made it look easy in the main channel. In our boat we towed Dutch Boy, and he easily caught the first big one. Then Tyler and Dylan started joining him. It was wonderful to see Dutch Boy hold back to give the boys a chance before he helped them. (Later Roger told me that Dutch Boy has no children but plays uncle to a whole gang of kids in Mangrove Bush and finances the Optimus sailing program.) He’s the kind of man you are proud to know.

Dutch Boy Towing

Green Turtle Blows

Dutch Boy brings a Green to the Boat

Soon each boat had three greens, and it was definitely time to start the science. When we had all the turtles line up on the beach at Strachan Cay, Roger went out to the channel and caught one more. That gave us 24 green turtles to measure, weigh, tag, and photograph. Everyone had a job, and even the youngest boys stayed with the program.

Weighing a Green Turtle

 It took a full two hours to work up all the turtles. We processed the Lochabar and 2^nd Hole turtles first, because they had been in the boats the longest. When they were done, Roger ran them back to their habitats while we finished the rest.

The Team

Wendy took the team picture with the final turtle, and the science was finished – 24 total green turtles from four distinct habitats within Clarence Town harbour. We had 5 recaptures from Lochabar Beach, 5 recaptures from 2^nd Hole, and 1 from Strachan Cay. All the turtles from the Main Channel were new, but Roger and Dutch Boy saw a couple with tags while they were towing. It was all proof of the extraordinary site fidelity of green turtles, even in an area where only a hundred yards would take the turtles into a different habitat.

As we motored back toward the marina, Dylan and Alexander counted 30 turtles in the hundred yards between the red buoy and the marina bulkhead. Three years ago we had made the same survey and had been excited to see 12 turtles.

That evening some of us assembled at the Cartwright’s for crab and dough and plenty of talk about politics, families, and Long Island; but the thread running through all the talk was pride in the community and the environment.

Hopefully the Bahamas National Trust will soon establish a branch in Long Island that can work toward creating a couple of national parks on the island. I would recommend that all of Clarence Town Harbour be protected. The park would allow for bonefishing, selected dredging, expansion of the marina, and work on the government dock but would protect the beaches and cays and the wildlife.