Annual Visitor

"Annual Visitor", painting by Alton R. Lowe

For a young boy of 5, it was an extraordinary adventure. Many years ago in summer, Daddy asked me if I wanted to go to the beach with him and my uncle, Carl, to collect turtle eggs. Of course, I said, yes. That night after dark, we set off from the village in daddy’s boat with him sculling (there being no motor on the dinghy).

We landed the boat and with lanterns and small baskets for the turtle eggs walked the narrow dirt road to the eastern side of Green Turtle Cay. Amazingly for me, along the road in the bush were hundreds of fireflies lighting the night with their tiny lights. That night, as you can see in my painting, there was a full moon. It was almost as bright as day before us. We could see several turtles coming up the beach from the sea to lay their eggs. There were already several areas in the sand where turtles had built their nests and laid their eggs.

We collected a basket full of eggs leaving some behind and returned home with what people in the village prized as a great delicacy. Daddy cooked up some of the eggs the next morning and I tasted one. Sad to say, it was not to my liking - too fishy!

Today, it is unlawful to disturb the turtle nests or to take the eggs. Most of the sea turtles are endangered and great efforts are being made to protect what is left. Looking back, for a boy of 5, it was the adventure of a lifetime. - Alton