Assessment underway on Hurricane Dean damage

These 46 baby Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) were released two days before Hurricane Dean blew through the Yucatán Peninsula.

Assessing the full extent of damage to turtle nests is difficult. Nest markers were washed away in some cases. In other cases, eggs may have been washed out to sea, leaving not a trace that they ever existed.

However, nature once again shows us her resiliance; now that the waters are calm, mother turtles are once again coming ashore all along the coast. These gentle giants are an inspiration to us, telling us to keep going and that the processes of life continue.