Late one night on Daufuskie Island three turtle hatchlings climbed to the surface of the beach and followed their instincts and what they thought was the moon.  First Faith, than Hope and right behind them little Miracle climbed out of the sand where their mother had placed them..This new day proved to be a big adventure…

Of course, baby loggerhead turtles instinctively look for the light of the moon to direct them to the ocean. Sometimes these “babies” get a little disoriented and end up in pools following the spotlights.  Not sure who followed who, but Hope, Miracle and Faith ended up swimming laps with about thirty of their brothers and sisters instead of swimming out to sea.

Lucky they were noticed by a mom and her children on a Daufuskie Island real early the next morning. “My son’s Robbie and Ryan came running up to me and said, ‘Mom there are baby loggerhead sea turtles in the pool”. Laurie knew just what to do “I called my friend Kim at the Coastal Discovery Museum on Hilton Head to make sure whatever we did was gentle.”

Kim told us that the turtles must find the ocean on their own or they will perish, so Laurie, Ryan and Robbie grabbed a luggage box and collected the turtles gently one by one.  Of course, Hope, Courage and Miracle were happy to take a break from all that swimming.  They were the last to be put into the sand about a foot above the water line.  When it came their turn to head to the ocean, all they did was turn round and round in the sand because they could not find the moon to guide them.

That’s when Low-Country Joe one of the group that had gathered on the beach remembered a story a shrimper friend had told him about resuscitating adult turtles that occasionally were caught in his nets. The shrimper would lay the turtle on its back and pump on its shell as hard as he could with his foot. In many cases the turtle would be revived.

Joe figured that if it worked on big loggerheads why not these babies. So Joe picked up “Hope” and rubbed like the dickens on its little underbelly……and lo and behold, first one flipper moved and then another and before everyone knew it, Hope sprang to life. He quickly placed her on the sand and with lifetime instincts taking hold, she made a bee line to the ocean. Courage, a strong and able male also had the same reaction.  Now it was time for Miracle, but she needed a bunch more rubbin’ and a lot more clapping, shouting and encouragement from the assembled and wishful onlookers.  Finally she also found her strength and headed out to sea.

Next Day the paper read:  DAUFUSKIE ISLAND — More than 30 loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings have been rescued from a Daufuskie Island Club and Resort pool since Monday, people involved with the effort said Thursday.  “We were good human helpers,” said Laurie, who along with her sons Robbie Jr. and Ryan helped save 30 turtles Monday.  One day, you may see one of these turtles laying their eggs on the beach and knowing that their are helpful humans.

It should be noted the year Hope, Miracle and Faith were born, Beaufort County Council passed an ordinance making it illegal for artificial lighting to be visible from beaches where the turtles hatch.