It was a very special night on the beach.
Ana had just spotted a momma sea turtle who’d come ashore to lay her eggs.
The mama made a hole for the eggs to stay in
until the babies inside grew big enough to hatch.
Ana felt lucky just to see something so special!
But she wasn't alone...
There were other people on the shore, who wanted to take the eggs away and sell them!
Ana knew the best place for the eggs was on the beach,
so someday, the baby turtles could wiggle their bodies right toward the water
and join their mama in the ocean!
If the people took the eggs, the babies might never hatch!
As soon as the mama turtle said good-bye to her eggs, the people tried to dig them up.
But Ana got there first!
The mama turtle had no idea her eggs were in any danger,
so it was up to Ana to protect them.
She decided to take them home, away from anyone who might try to dig them up.
Ana didn’t have a beach in her backyard,
but she did have a bucket she could fill with sand.
It wasn’t as perfect a home for eggs as the sand by the ocean,
but here, Ana could stand guard.
Every day, she watched the eggs and waited.
She wanted to be ready to take the turtles back as soon as the eggs started to crack.
Sometimes, she wasn’t sure if they ever would.
“It takes around two months for them to hatch, but these were taking a little bit longer, so we’re like, 'We’re not sure if they’re going to make it!'"
All she could do was hope.
But two months later...
Ana heard a scratching sound outside.
And when she went to check on the bucket…
One by one, they crawled out of the sand.
So many tiny baby turtles!
All excited to head back to the ocean.
But uhh—
Where was the ocean?
Ana had to move fast. Baby sea turtles need to get to the ocean quickly after hatching.
She went back to the beach and let the babies out of the bucket.
Ana was a little nervous.
Did she make it in time?
Would the babies know what to do? They were only just born.
She watched and waited...
Until the turtles started to crawl!
Ana was so happy,
but she couldn’t leave yet!
She wanted to stand guard until every turtle made it to the sea.
And right as the last turtle left the beach, she saw something.
A big sea turtle was swimming in the waves.
There was no way to know for sure,
but Ana likes to think that the mama turtle came back
just to watch her babies crawl home.
And to thank Ana
for keeping her little ones safe.