It was a matter of life and death

Cathy Holmes is one of the "turtle ladies" who patrols the beaches at 5 a.m. every morning. She peers out looking for evidence of turtle tracks in the sand.

The tracks are the only trace left that a turtle visited Navarre Beach during the night to build a nest and lay her eggs.

On July 11, Holmes found a loggerhead nest that was on the eastern end of the beach. It was located too close to the water and had to be moved. Gigi and Britt Naggatz joined Holmes and carefully moved 144 eggs out of harm's way of a rising tide.

They staked out the nest, taped the stakes and marked it.

For more on this story, see the Sept. 15 issue of Navarre Pres or subscribe online.