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Have You ever held a Turtle Baby?

Just hatched out of their eggs!
Off to the Big Bad Ocean they go!

I did quite a bit of mingling with the turtles yesterday — part of the reason I’ve been missing from my blog.

I’m in Mirissa, Sri Lanka, and among other things, I got to help some tiny turtles get a head start on life.

So you’ll forgive me if I disappear for a while — I’ve been on a jungle safari today, and watched a couple of ornery, heavy-breathing cobras this evening from less than five feet away.

If I get  lucky, I might get to see a blue whale tomorrow.

If that sounds whacked out to you, that’s because it is. I never expected this out of my trip to Sri Lanka, either.  Now, I got to go get my beauty sleep for my first ever trip to the Indian Ocean. See you all later this week!

Holding a leathery little turtle that might grow to be 250 years old

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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23 Comments

  • Al Penwasser says:

    Hey, if you see a blue whale in the jungle, that would be sooooo cool.

  • Thanks for visiting my blog (a bench with a view) and your comment. Wow, what an adventure you are having! The part of the cobra would be a little scary, but otherwise, I think I'd enjoy seeing the Indian Ocean and the baby turtles.

    betty

  • Wow, those turtles look adorable, it's hard to imagine how long they might live. Sounds like an amazing trip.

  • How awesome that you got to help baby turtles – and hold one! I hope the rest of your trip is just as awesome πŸ™‚

  • This sounds like amazing trip. What a gift to hold a baby turtle and I hope you see a blu whale!
    A2Z Mommy and What’s In Between

  • I've held baby turtles in my hand before, but not the darling hatchlings heading to the sea. What an wonderful experience!

    The cobras? No thanks. I only want to see them through a thick pane of glass.

    Have fun!

    • Damyanti says:

      Oh they were so darling heading to the sea. They knew exactly which way to go, and went for it!

      I've seen loads of cobras through glass panes, but this encounter where they could have got me if not for their handler, was pure adrenalin rush.

  • Carol Riggs says:

    Awwww, sweet! I had a baby turtle named Myrtle (original, right?) when I was young. Ew, creepy, on the cobras! Enjoy your amazing trip. πŸ™‚

    • Damyanti says:

      Thanks, Carol…Myrtle sounds cute :). The cobras weren't creepy, but definitely awe-inspiring. They were aggressive – I have a shaky video cos I ran away in between!

  • Baby turtles are so cute! I used to have a great big sulcata tortoise – raised from when he was a baby. Had to give him away to a place with acres…they're grazing animals, and Edward needed so much more space than we could give him. Thanks for sharing these pics. (flood of memories comes rushing to the surface…)

  • Think it would be cool to help baby turtles. Pass on seeing cobras so close though!

    • Damyanti says:

      It was so cool, despite a toddler in the audience who decided to run and pick them back up from the sea, and had to be explained why he shouldn't!

  • I have never held a turtle baby but after these photos I want to now!!!!

  • That is awesome. You are so lucky to get to see those baby turtles (and the cobras.) My fingers are crossed you get to see a blue whale.

    • Damyanti says:

      I did get to see the whales, after all. I got so emotional I forgot to take pics, but the husband has some, and I'll have to dig them up!

  • shelly says:

    How sweet. When I was in Hawaii in 87, I was blessed to see whales every morning. They would come ashore for a couple hours and people watch. They ware as big as cruise chips. It was awesome.

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

    • Damyanti says:

      Wow, people watching whales? The ones we saw (about 15 different spouts) seemed shy. One of them surfaced near our boat, but swam quietly away.

  • Jo says:

    Lucky you. They have a big hatch and release programme on the beaches of North Carolina where you can occasionally get to see the baby turtles if you are around at the right time.

    • Damyanti says:

      I did feel quite lucky! I got to hold them one day, and actually take them out of the eggs and release them into the sea the next!