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Fins to Feather

by Scarlet Colley - June- 2003

Being out on the water of the Laguna Madre bay as a research/tour vessel, the Laguna Skimmer encounters many wonderful events of nature. With summer underway there is more traffic on the water and people enjoying the sights to be seen. Birds are everywhere, feeding on the water, flying overhead and scampering or resting along the shoreline of the bay or the beach or any small spoil Islands that may be permanent or exposed by a low tide. The dolphins of the bay are here and there doing their daily routines. The marine life is down under swimming and crawling about and it is all a wonder. The different echo-niches are surrounding us. We can only imagine what it is like under the surface of the bay waters and what is flying thru the liquid air.

The creatures are abundant and we are in awe as residents and visitors. A visit to Sea Turtle Inc. on South Padre Island will give everyone a chance to see the illusive sea turtles that inhabit the bay and coastal waters. They are open Tuesday thru Sundays from 10:00am to 4:00pm. and are located north on the Island towards the Convention Center. They are the best way to see Sea Turtles and have a wonderful rehab facility for them. The types of Sea Turtles we have here are Green, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, the extremely endangered Kemp’s Ridley and the Leatherback.

Our only marine mammal in the Bay and close inshore are our Bottlenose Dolphins though further off shore there are other marine mammals such as Spotted and Spinner dolphins. The dolphins that are in painted in Port Isabel all around town are a Spinner dolphin. There are also whales but seldom seem. The bay is the perfect place for our inshore Bottlenose dolphin and we have been fortunate to come to know them personally after filming and documenting them for eight years now on our Laguna Skimmer. They truly are a unique family group.

Our marine life is diverse and can be best viewed at the Coastal Studies Lab in Isla Blanca Park on the south end of the Island. The lab is free and is open from 1:20 to 4:30 everyday but Saturday. They also have a wonderful video that is available to watch and there are a great place to visit during the heat of the day. Some of the marine life that can be seen there is an Octopus, Seahorse, Giant Hermit Crab, Spiny Lobster and lots more.

The nature trail at the Convention Center is also a wonderful way to enjoy the nature of the Island and Alli Alligator is there in the pond. As tourists come to the Island to enjoy the nature of the Island , we as residents take pride in sharing what the Island has to offer.

For those of us that work out in it everyday we see that there are times we can help out when a creature is in trouble. Not too long ago, while out on the water with the owners of the Coastal Winds Gift Shop that is located in Port Isabel we had an opportunity to help a fellow creature in trouble. ( By the way the owners of the Coastal Winds gift shop have two dogs that are at their shop each day just like our dolphin dogs work with us each day on the boat.) The dolphins we were with swam right up to an object floating in the water as if to show us something. That something was a bird and it was in quite a dilemma. It had become water logged and could not fly. We gently gathered it up in our net , rinsed of the salt water and put it in a quiet place on the boat to rest and dry. This bird was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and many die being hit by cars as they are low flyers. We felt happy that we could rescue one after seeing so many hit on the roads of the Island. When we returned to the Island we released this healthy bird to hopefully have better luck getting to its nesting grounds. South Padre Island can be a great place to experience the wonder of nature when you know where to find it!

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