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Sombrero Beach in Marathon, Florida, may be the quintessential example of a multi-use beach. Am I talking swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing, picnicking, volleyball, barbecuing, and climbing on playground playground equipment? Well, all those things can be done at this beach, but that’s not what I was referring to.

Sombrero is a multi-use beach because humans are not the only ones that use it. Between April and October each year, Loggerhead turtles crawl up onto the beach at night to lay their eggs in the sand. During these months, city workers remove tables and park benches from the beach, nesting areas are roped off, and local officials and volunteers patrol the beach at least once a day to ensure nests are not disturbed. The rest of the year belongs entirely to humans and their canine friends, who are welcome as long as they are leashed (the dogs, not the humans).

With soft white sand, gentle waters, and no crowds, Sombrero Beach is a favorite with locals and visitors.

Sombrero Beach is popular with vacationers and locals alike for a number of reasons. First, it is located about two miles down a residential street leading to the Atlantic Ocean side of Marathon, away from the main highway and traffic noise. On the west-facing portion of the beach, a wide ribbon of soft white sand fronts emerald waters that stay shallow for some distance before dropping off to deeper water, inviting use by both swimmers and families with toddlers. A rocky shelf along the left side of the beach attracts sea urchins, sponges, and tropical, making it an ideal snorkeling spot.

The south-facing portion of Sombrero Beach is perfect for romantic walks or viewing spectacular sunsets

At the southernmost point the beach takes a right turn. Graceful coconut palms line this part of the beach; the tips of their giant fronds drape the sand, providing welcome shade in the intense sunshine. A pier juts into the water beyond black boulders that line the shore, providing a perfect place to watch the setting sun.

Other facilities include picnic pavilions and tables, volleyball courts, barbecue pits, showers, changing areas, restrooms, and ample parking. An adjacent park has playground equipment for the kids. There is no fee to use the park or beach, and hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to sunset. Sombrero Beach is located at mile marker 50 in the Florida Keys, in the city of Marathon.

via Beach Travel Guide » Blog Archive Sombrero Beach Park, Marathon, Florida Keys – Beach Travel Guide.

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Dubbed “Kincaid,” the turtle has reached celebrity status, as the release will be televised live on the national “Fox and Friends” show on the Fox network. The turtle’s walk-in appointment turned into a stay of several months while staff veterinarians treated the lumbering reptile for an internal bacterial infection.

A regimen of antibiotics and vitamins was combined with a diet of raw squid. “He’s getting fat and he’s ready to go,” hospital Executive Director Ryan Butts said. At first thinking Kincaid was merely lost, the staff initially waited several hours before treating the turtle when he showed up at the dock of the world’s only licensed veterinary facility that treats turtles exclusively.

The federally protected endangered species is known for their large heads and powerful jaws, which allow them to feed on hard-shelled prey such as conch. The species also feeds on fish, crustaceans and other mollusks and marine animals. Adults grow to an average weight of about 200 pounds. The top shell, or carapace, is slightly heart-shaped, with a reddish-brown color. The outside and under-shell is generally a pale yellowish color.

Nesting season runs from about May through August, with nesting occurring primarily at night. Loggerheads are known to nest up to seven times within a nesting season.

tohara@keysnews.com

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Cristler denied threatening his wife, saying he was only shooting iguanas, reports say.

After a day of drinking at a friend’s house, Cristler grew angry and said he didn’t want to be with his wife anymore, she told deputies, according to reports. They were arguing in the bedroom when he threatened to “blow a hole in her head” while she was sleeping, then went downstairs and began shooting his .45-caliber handgun, reports say. She ran to a neighbor’s house and called 911 around 9 p.m.

Neighbors reported hearing gunshots coming from the Cristlers’ home, reports say. While a deputy was talking to the wife, they heard another gunshot coming from the Cristlers’ home, reports say. When the deputy approached the house, she saw a man on the porch and repeatedly ordered him to show his hands, to which Cristler eventually complied and was taken into custody without incident, reports say.

Deputies collected some spent shell casings for evidence as well as the handgun, which Cristler told them was on a shelf, reports say. Deputies also confiscated six rifles, magazines and bullets from the house, reports say.

Cristler remains in Monroe County jail on Stock Island in lieu of $75,000 bond.

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The Komodo Dragon lives on several islands in Indonesia. Komodo dragons have shark-like teeth and poisonous venom that can kill a person within hours of a bite. Yet villagers who have lived for generations alongside the world’s largest lizard were not afraid — until the dragons started to attack. Komodo dragon attacks are still rare, experts note. But fear is swirling through the fishing villages, along with questions on how best to live with the dragons in the future.

They can reach speeds of up to 18 miles (nearly 30 kilometers) per hour, their legs winding around their low, square shoulders like egg beaters. Three people have been killed in this decade (2009, 2007 and 2000) and at least eight injured in just over a decade. But park officials say these numbers aren’t overly alarming given the steady stream of tourists and the 4,000 people who live in their midst. People have since asked for a 6-foot-high (2-meter) concrete wall to be built around their villages, but that idea, too, has been rejected. The head of the park, Tamen Sitorus, said: “It’s a strange request. You can’t build a fence like that inside a national park!”

In California The Dept. of Fish & Game offers this information and these tips. More than half of California is mountain lion habitat. Mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. They are solitary and elusive, and their nature is to avoid humans. Mountain lions prefer deer but, if allowed, they also eat pets and livestock. In extremely rare cases, even people have fallen prey to mountain lions.

• Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
• Deer-proof your landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat. For tips, request a Gardener’s Guide to Preventing Deer Damage from DFG offices.
• Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
• Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
• Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
• Provide sturdy, covered shelters for sheep, goats, and other vulnerable animals.
• Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.
• Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.

Please take this survey. You can choose up to 3 answers.Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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I am purchasing the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder in hopes of capturing both the egg laying and hatching 80 days later.

Stay tuned.

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I went back outside just after sunset and saw her near the boat ramp. I went over to the nest site to see if she had been in it, she hadn’t. When I went to take another photo of her at the ramp she had left and I saw her head at the bank next to the nest site. I walked back to that area and was preparing to photo her when suddenly she was ashore. When I say suddenly she was ashore, I am not kidding. She went from fully in the water to fully on land, up a 2 foot high embankment, so fast it almost seemed impossible. If I had been standing on the bank there would have been no way to move away in time.

Talk about a wake up call. I have seen, on TV, plenty of film of Crocs attacking prey on waterway banks and am always amazed at the explosion of motion. Seeing this first hand was fantastic. She obliviously doesn’t simply climb up the canal bank but uses her tail to catapult herself out of the water and onto land. Once she was on land she just sat there motionless for some time. After taking some photos I left her alone for the rest of the evening.

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When I came home in the afternoon she was basking in my boat ramp which is on the other side of the property from the nest site. I didn’t bother her any more today but went to bed happy that she seems to have found a nesting site she likes.

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He related some stories of other Upper Keys nestings, including some others on occupied property, and let me know that if I had no objections they would let nature take its course. He requested I keep him informed and he hoped to get a chance to see the crocodile. I showed him some of my photos and using this photo he was able to identify the Spring Break Croc by clippings of the tail scoots (the bony ridges along each side and top of the tail) from a previous capture in May of 2005.

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As I made my way to my canal side patio I looked toward my usually empty neighbor’s yard to see if they had made the trip down to paradise. I never noticed if anyone was there since this is what greeted me. This is an American Saltwater Crocodile sunning itself in an empty raised flower bed.

I live near the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and have seen Crocs in my canal and occasionally sunning on my boat ramp as well as in the surrounding waters while boating. This was the first time I have had one well out of the water in my yard. I guess it is time for a little autobio. I have lived all my life, 50+ years, in South Florida and have spent many hours enjoying subtropical nature. I worked for 11 years as an Animal Control Officer where I handled many different animals other then the standard dogs and cats, including the occasional small alligator. I also, for a number of years, was a State licensed, nuisance wildlife trapper although I never handled gator or croc complaints. So as you might surmise, I didn’t run frightened into my home and dial 911. I did go inside but it was to get my camera so I could get some pictures before she disappeared back into her watery world.

This picture shows a typical Gaping posture that is often mistaken for aggression but is actually this behavior is done when the crocodile is basking in the sun. Experts think that this may cool the crocodile. However they also do this during rain and at night which suggests that gaping has a social function as well.

Much to my delight my, now favorite, Spring Break visitor didn’t seem to mind my presence and proceeded to spend the next 4 hours digging, resting and changing positions in a relatively small space and letting me photograph her from every angle. At first I thought she might be injured since she seemed to be acting a little strangely. It soon became evident that “She” was performing nesting behaviour. I tried to be as undistrubing as possible while still staying near enough to watch and photograph her antics. It seemed to be working since she paid little attention to me and continued until the hottest part of the day. Then she calmly returned to the canal, only about 15 feet away.

I wondered if that would be the last I saw of her. Much to my delight she immediately turned around and positioned herself head first toward the bank and remained there until it was nearly dark. If you are interest in reading more of the Spring Break Croc, keep checking back. I have contacted the State to advise them and if she decides to continue her visit I will keep you updated.

Let me know if you have been so lucky with any unusual local wildlife.

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