Interesting Developments

We are close to returning to Tybee Island for the month of July. Our youngest son John and his family are coming out for a vacation, my Mom is going back with us for a visit and honestly we miss our island home. Recently I wrote about being happy where you are. It is easier advice to give than to take. While we have been taking care of our Illinois home and visiting with friends and family here there have been things going on in Georgia that have my interest. Here is one of them.

This big lady came up on Tybee beach near the pier a couple of weeks ago. She is a Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) a member of the largest species of all sea turtle. Tybee had not seen a visit from a Leatherback for several years. The more common visitors to Tybee are the Loggerhead Sea Turtles. The Leatherback is different from all other sea turtles in that it lacks a bony shell. Leatherbacks adults are about six to seven feet long and weigh between 550 and 1540 pounds. It is clearly unwieldy on land but in water they are incredible. They have been recorded diving to depths of 4,200 feet. Typical dives last from 3 to 8 minutes but they are capable of dives lasting from 30 to 70 minutes. They are also the fastest moving of all reptiles capable of moving almost 22 miles per hour in water. The picture below gives you some better idea of her size.

The recent shooting in Charleston has given rise to increased interest in the Confederate battle flag and the Civil War in general. The next development in the Savannah area has to do with the Civil War. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is currently working to recover wreckage and artifacts from the CSS Georgia which lies in the Savannah River near old Fort Jackson. The CSS Georgia was a Confederate Navy ironclad warship constructed in 1862, launched in 1863 and deliberately sunk by Confederates on December 21, 1864 as General Sherman's march to the sea ended at Savannah. The channel of the Savannah River is being deepened and widened to allow larger ships to access the port of Savannah. If the wreck is not recovered now it will be destroyed by the dredging operations. A team of U.S. Navy divers are on site working to recover artillery rounds which were on board when the CSS Georgia was scuttled. It was originally believed there were five to ten rounds. Divers have continued to find more and now believe there are around thirty. If you wonder about the work they are doing it is difficult and dangerous. These artillery rounds are still capable of exploding. The river current is swift and the visibility is near zero. The divers are able to work only about an hour a day during the brief period between the change from low to high tide. There are four cannons remaining on the CSS Georgia which will also be raised. Below is a picture of one of the cannons recovered in operations several years ago. It is displayed at Fort Jackson.

So, as you can see, we are not talking about small items here. The work is difficult, heavy and dangerous. Below is a picture of a section of the boats casement recovered in 2013. It is about 64 square feet in size.

So there you have it. Leatherback turtle and Confederate Ironclad. What new happenings await us back on Tybee? Maybe just sand, surf and great seafood. Whatever it is we will enjoy it while we are there, most likely while we wonder about what is happening here.