Sea Turtle, Inc...

On South Padre Island, there is a sea turtle rescue operation: Sea Turtle, Inc.  They do good work.  At Sea Turtle, Inc, you can see rescue operations, get involved as a volunteer, or simply tour the facility.  Our friend Susan volunteers there and asked if I would come by to get photos of her "favorite," Allison, the one-flipper turtle.

Certainly.  Susan wants to do a wood carving of Allison and needs some photos to go by.  Over the decades, I have photographed many different subjects... this is my first "sea turtle assignment," other than occasionally getting lucky enough to get a photo of one of these endangered animals in the wild.

Sea Turtle, Inc. is towards the northern end of the developed part of South Padre Island.  A new facility is in the works, here's what the old facility looks like today...

Also outside: a sand sculpture of a sea turtle...

We went inside and found Susan...

She introduced us to Allison...

Yep, Allison has only a right front flipper.  She was found that way when brought to the rescue facility.  No way could she survive in the wild.  The good folks here worked through a series of prosthetics to come up with the "rudder" you see strapped to her shell in the photo above.  Without that, she would have no ability to control the direction of her movements.  With it, she gets around pretty well in the tank that is now her "forever home;" a tank she shares with another sea turtle, Merry Christmas...

They seem to get along like sisters - sometimes friendly, sometimes not.

Susan asked me here to get photos of Allison from different angles, and I did my best, having to work with bubbles, glare in the surface of the water, and a turtle who goes whatever direction she wants...

It took plenty of "post production" Photoshop work to get these (and plenty more).

We worked around tours that were being given while there...

And, a required stop to see Gerry the Turtle...

... before heading out.

A facility that supports a good cause.  There are 5 resident sea turtles that live here year 'round, because they would not make it in the wild.  And always other turtles that are being rehabilitated before being released.