About 7 miles from where we have been camped in Brunswick, GA, is the cut off to Jekyll Island. Though we visited the island once before, we've not taken time to learn about the history nor have we visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center that is located there. Having visited the Turtle Farm in the Cayman Islands, I wasn't sure what to expect at the Sea Turtle Center in Georgia. Come to find out, there is a huge difference in their missions. The Cayman Turtle Farm is home to thousands of Green Sea Turtles and was established in 1965 to raise the Green Sea Turtle for commercial purposes (food) without depleting the wild populations. Consequently, when the laws that were in effect to protect the sea turtle prevented them from selling the product they were raising, it became a huge tourists attraction instead.
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| Turtle sculpture (not the best photo angle) created from debris found on the beach that affects the sea turtle habitat. |
The Sea Turtle Center in Georgia, however, was opened in 2007 to raise awareness of habitat and wild life conservation challenges. It is an advanced hospital and rehabilitation pavilion with many sea turtle patients regularly on view for guests. Sea Turtles observed when we visited were being cared for and rehabilitated to be released back into the wild. Many had been stranded and found along Atlantic Coast beaches. The turtles are all named and their progress is monitored until such time that they are released back into the ocean at their own turtle release party. Education is a major part of the mission of The Sea Turtle Center, with focus on how our coastal ecosystems are impacted by the way we live and care for our environment. Many turtles are injured or killed by boat propellers, or being trapped in nets, but a common danger to them as well as all other marine life is the plastic that is discarded on our beaches and dumped in our oceans. Turtles and fish mistake our plastic trash for food and ingest it to their own demise. When you get the chance to walk on our beautiful sand beaches, take a bag along to pick up cigarette butts, plastic bottles and caps, and plastic bags. Not only will it help to beautify our beaches, but it will help to detoxify our ecosystem and protect our marine life. My eyes were just recently opened as to how serious the problem has become and it is up to us who have created the problem to correct it for the benefit of marine life, which in turn effects our lives. Rant over!
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| Two clowns at the Sea Turtle Hospital. |
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| No rehabilitating these two! |
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| Hotel guests still dress in white to play croquet in the yard. |
Jekyll Island was originally purchased in 1886 to become an exclusive winter retreat for some of the nation's most elite families. Known as the Jekyll Island Club, the legendary Rockefellers, Morgans, Pulitzers, and Vanderbilts came here to 'get away from it all'. During the Depression of the 1930's the cottages fell into disrepair and after WW II club members never returned. Descendants of the Jekyll Island Club families had little interest in maintaining the 'Cottages' comprising 'millionaires row' and the historic landmarks were all but lost to decay.
Thankfully, the state of Georgia purchased the Island and created The Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District. Projects were started to restore the landmark structures, including the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Today you can tour the cottages which made up millionaire's row, book a room at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, and even play croquet on the lawn, but you must be outfitted in white, as is still the tradition.
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| One of the original Cottages on Millionaires Row. Not exactly what I picture as a 'cottage'. |
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| Nice little island cart from Jekyll Island Club days. |
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| We are Family! MK, Red, Me, and Mimi |
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| Looking up to see the moss in the Live Oaks. |
There is just something serene about taking a walk on the beach... Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island is natures own gallery of driftwood art. Every piece seems to have been sculpted perfectly by the winds and waves.
The fishing pier is quiet and empty this day while the tide is low. What a scenic fishing perch it would make, if I only had a fishing pole. My next purchase, for sure!
Till Next Time,
The Bee-Gals
Kathy and Kathy
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