all about the water
Artist Dory Ingram - 12 Cathy Sakas - 16 Georgia Sea Turtle Center - 22 Best Of Survey - 28
August 2016
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05 Editor’s Note
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06 Community Updates 08 One More Cast 09
Marine Patrol - What Knot! VHF Radio
10 Gray’s Reef - Scientific Research Dives 11 Did You Know? Pinfish! 12
Artist Dory Ingram
15
SkIO Marine Carbon Grant and Study
16
Women of the Water: Cathy Sakas
Captain Tripp Lang’s Charters
20 Fishin’ For Jamie Results 22 Georgia Sea Turtle Center 26 Sea Turtle Release 28 Best Of Survey 30 The Bitter End 31
CoastFest Announcement About the Cover: Meet Bell, a straggler from last year’s nesting season. She’s currently being cared for by the GSTC and will be released when she’s about a year old. Photo by Keely Kasper
Inshore Fishing & Sightseeing Cruises 912-674-1085 or 912-674-0838
August 2016
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It’s not just ART ... It’s a STORY.
Staff Publisher/Editor – Amy Thurman amy@southerntidesmagazine.com Assistant Editor - Amelia Dence amelia@southerntidesmagazine.com The Bitter End Columnist - Captain J. Gary “Gator” Hill jgaryhill@gmail.com One More Cast Columnist - Captain Brian Woelber captainbrian@onemorecast.com
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Gray’s Reef Contributor - Michelle Riley michelle.riley@noaa.gov Marine Patrol Contributor - Srgt. D. Walker info@southerntidesmagazine.com SkIO Contributor - Michael Sullivan mike.sullivan@skio.uga.edu Contributing Photographer - Keely Kasper info@southerntidesmagazine.com Contributing Writer - Meggan Hood mhood@jekyllisland.com Contributing Writer - Dory Ingram doryingram@gmail.com Copyright © 2015-2016 All content herein is copyright protected and may not be reproduced in whole or part without express written permission.
Specializing in redfish (spot tail bass), tarpon, sheepshead, trout, flounder, striper, cobia, and shark.
Captain Brian Woelber (912) 308-5991 Savannah
Southern Tides is a free magazine published monthly and can be found at multiple locations from St. Marys, GA, to Beaufort, SC. PO Box 30724 Wilmington Island, GA 31410 (912) 484-3611 info@southerntidesmagazine.com www.SouthernTidesMagazine.com Visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/pages/southern-tides-magazine Follow us on Instagram at southern_tidesmag Follow us on Twitter at Southern Tides Southern Tides Magazine is printed by Walton Press, Monroe, GA
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August 2016
E ditor’s N ote
you may have for Sgt. Walker on boating laws or safe boating practices. This was a fun issue to put together. I had the pleasure of a long conversation with Cathy Sakas for our Women of the Water series. She’s a dynamo and in getting to know her, I made a new friend. I look forward to going with Cathy on a couple paddle trips to the Okefenokee and Everglades, hopefully in the not too distant future. Also this month, contributing photographer Keely Kasper and I visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and got to spend the morning in the company of some of these adorable critters
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e’re growing! When we published our first issue in September of last year, we started with 32 pages. It seemed a good starting point, but within a couple months we reduced it to 24 pages to keep operating expenses in line with ad revenue. However, thanks to multiple new ads, we were able to bump the page count back up to 32 with this issue, and hope to hold steady there until we can increase again to 40 pages. Thank you, to all of our advertisers, for your support and confidence in Southern Tides Magazine to reach your target markets! Thank you, Danny Bacot, of Kilkenny Marina, for identifying the photo of the small fish in last month’s Editor’s Note. It’s a filefish! We’ll plan a “Did You Know?” spot about them in an upcoming issue. If you catch anything you aren’t sure about, send a photo to us and we’ll call on our knowledgeable readers and contributors for an answer. Last month we introduced What Knot! a column written by Sergeant Walker, with Chatham County Marine Patrol. Last month the topic was understanding no wake and idle speed zones; this month he discusses proper use of VHF radios, and next month he’ll share how to prepare for and handle typical boating emergencies. We’d like to invite readers to write in to us with any questions August 2016
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
Top: A terrapin hatchling peeking out of his hiding spot. Photo by Keely Kasper Below: It’s a filefish! Photo by Amy Thurman
while also learning a lot about them and the center that supports and cares for them. We’re gearing up for next month’s first anniversary issue with a “Best Of” survey on page 28. We encourage all readers to participate and share your favorite marina, charter captain, seafood market, and more. Results of the poll will be featured in the September issue and we plan to make it an annual feature. We tried to think of every potential category but if we missed anything, by all means please let us know and we’ll include it next year. Enjoy this issue, stay cool and hydrated, and we’ll see you out there!
Amy Thurman
Editor-In-Chief
amy@southerntidesmagazine.com
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GameDay Sportz
Community Updates Record Number of Sea Turtle Nests in SC Nesting sea turtles have outdone themselves again in South Carolina. With several weeks still left in the nesting season, the state’s sea turtle nest numbers have surpassed the record high of 5,198 nests set in 2013, and has exceeded the 5,111 nests laid last year as the number of nests topped 6,000 at print time. This milestone marks South Carolina’s third record-setting season out of the last four years. It’s also consistent with a broader trend across the Southeast, as states like Georgia and Florida have reported similar record-setting numbers in recent years. S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SC DNR) biologists who monitor sea turtles are optimistic that the high nest numbers represent the pay-off of decades of conservation efforts — and mean that recovery of the loggerhead, Hatchling heading for open water. the most common sea turtle in South Carolina, Photo by Erin Weeks/SC DNR is on track. “While nesting numbers are up, there is still work to be done here in South Carolina, and globally, protecting turtles from hazards in the water and their nesting habitat on land,” said SC DNR sea turtle biologist Michelle Pate. “We’re grateful to all those involved in making this a successful sea turtle year in South Carolina,” said Pate.
Waddell Mariculture Undergoing Renovations
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Renovation of the Waddell Mariculture Center began in July and according to the contractor, work should be completed before November. The labs, offices and bathrooms, will be replaced. A new HVAC system, all new electrical wiring and panels will be installed to meet new building codes. The center’s staff and college interns have moved all of the tanks from the wet-lab to the outdoors. The pace of work will not interfere with fish production in the ponds. Biologists plan to install a new maturation and spawning tank system in the newly renovated wet-lab. The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry provided a grant to purchase a new seawater filter. This filter will process seawater for the conditioning of fish for spawning in the renovated hatchery. The mariculture center also replaced its two seawater intake lines that supply Excavation is underway. high quality seawater to the Photo provided by Al Stokes/WMC center’s pump station. 6
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
Closing Arguments Heard in Sea Island Challenge On July 13, Administrative Law Judge Kristin Miller heard five hours of closing arguments in the challenge by the Altamaha Riverkeeper, Surfrider Foundation, and One Hundred Miles, to Sea Island Acquisition’s proposal to build a 350-foot T-head groin on Sea Island. The proposal includes a beach nourishment project. GreenLaw attorney Steve Caley made the closing argument on behalf of the Petitioners whose experts testified at a week-long trial. The key points are as follows: • The groin would unreasonably interfere with sea turtle conservation efforts by inhibiting adult females from reaching the beach to lay their eggs. It would also adversely affect the ability of hatchlings to safely reach the sea. Existing T-groin on Sea Island spit. • It would interfere with the sand-sharing system by accelerating the 300 Photo provided by Altamaha Riverkeeper feet of downdrift erosion to the Sea Island Spit that has already occurred in just 15 years since the current groins were installed. • The groin would be contrary to the Shore Protection Act which expresses a strong preference for beach nourishment without groins and specifically provides that groins are prohibited when a reasonable or viable alternative such as beach nourishment is available. Beach nourishment without a groin is both reasonable, and viable. In the last 10 years, 134 out of 139 (96%) of beach nourishment projects in the southeast have been implemented successfully without groins. Judge Miller has indicated that she will issue her decision by August 26.
Satilla Riverkeeper Hosting Gala
The Satilla Riverkeeper is hosting their annual gala, celebrating 12 years as a Riverkeeper organization. The event will be held on Saturday, August 20th, from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m., at Strickland’s Satilla Lodge in Raybon, Georgia. The event will include dinner, a guest speaker, live and silent auctions, a raffle, live entertainment, and an open bar. Recommended attire is resort casual. Seating is limited. Please visit www.satillariverkeeper. org/events.html for more information or to sponsor the event. The Satilla River. Photo provided by the Satilla Riverkeeper
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One More Cast
By Captain Brian Woelber
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get asked a lot about my favorite place to fish. I’ve fished from New York to Key West, but I can honestly say I love not only Savannah waters, but the whole Georgia coast. And the biggest reason is because we have such a great and healthy fishery. On a recent, multi-day charter I asked my client what species he wanted to target. He said, “As many as possible!” Well, this time of year that’s pretty easy. On the first day we caught black drum, flounder, redfish, trout, bluefish and, of course, sharks. The next day we wanted to look for different fish, so we fished the jetties where we caught everything we had the first day, plus Spanish mackerel and ladyfish. No matter where you fish right now you can catch a wide variety – and to catch multiple species you have to use different baits, like live shrimp, finger mullet, cut mullet, and pogies. Red fishing is good right now. Keep moving to find the slot fish, but they’re out there. Try using live finger mullet to pull out the larger reds, along grass lines or in the grass, on high tides. The trout bite has also been on. Again, lots of small ones, which means it’s going to be a great fall! Like the reds, if you’re catching small ones, just move. On another recent charter we’d caught our limit, in 100 feet of water, by 10:00 a.m. Five of them were over 20 inches. I hear a lot of talk that people are catching fish, but they’re all small. I have to ask if they caught them all in the same spot. I know it’s hard to leave biting fish, but if the ones you’re catching are small, chances are good Slot-sized trout catch on a recent charter. they’re all small. Photo by Captain Brian Woelber They tend to school with others of the same size. To catch slots and bigger, you have to move on. Plus, you don’t want to kill all the fish that will be mature this fall. This is the reason I love to fish the low country. With every season there’s a new species of fish to target, it never gets boring and I’m constantly learning, each day I fish. Try fishing new areas, not the same spots, catching the same small fish. This will only make you a better fisherman. And take the kids fishing this time of year. I recently had a family with a little guy on the boat and he caught his first big red. There’s nothing like getting kids outdoors, learning and having fun. They won’t get bored – there’s plenty of action! Good luck! Remember – release a fish today so you can catch two tomorrow!
Email Captain Brian: captainbrian@onemorecast.com 8
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
W hat K not! T
By Sergeant D. Walker Chatham County Marine Patrol
his month we’re going to talk about the VHF, or Very High Frequency radio, one of a boat’s most important means of communicating on the water. We’ll start with channel 16, the hailing and distress channel. This channel should only be used for initial contact or in an emergency; longer conversations should be taken to a working channel, and care should be taken not to interrupt other calls. To hail, or call, someone, state their call sign (boat name) twice, then your call sign, as in the following example between a boat named Mermaid and a boat named Fish On: “Mermaid, Mermaid, this is Fish On. Do you copy?” “Go ahead Fish On, this is Mermaid.” “Passing on your starboard side, Captain.” “Copy that, Fish On.” “Fish On out.” Or for longer conversations, “Please switch to 6-8, Captain.” “Mermaid switching to 6-8.” Once contact is made, the caller can make a short request, announce their intentions or request a switch to a working channel so as not to tie up the hailing and distress channel with conversation. The five channels designated for non-commercial general communications are 68, 69, 71, 72, and 78A. Accidents happen every second of every day. If someone is trying to call for help, their message may not broadcast if you are tying up channel 16. Corporal David Jannot In the event of an emergency, you may need to call using his VHF radio. for help, or mayday, and provide as much information Photo by Officer Gene Maxey as possible in case you lose communications. This information should include the name of your boat (if it doesn’t have a name, use your name), the number of people aboard and any critical injuries, the nature of your emergency, your location (using GPS coordinates if possible, or any landmarks), all telephone numbers in case VHF is lost, and any other information that might assist responders. A distress call would sound like this: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is Fish On. We are a 25-foot, white, Cobia, center console, with four adult males on board. We are currently taking on water at position 32° 18’ 23.1” North by 122° 36’ 52.5” West. We have anchored to maintain our position and have our lifejackets on.” If you don’t have the coordinates, you could also say, “We’re about two miles off Tybee, due east of the pier.” Keep in mind, radio conversations are not private. Channel 16 broadcasts are recorded, and anyone in range could be listening. Cursing on the hailing channel is illegal and you never know who, including children, can hear your conversation. On the other hand, I’ve heard kids playing on the radio, tying up channel 16 for possible distress calls. Children should be taught that the radio is not a toy, instructed in proper usage and how to call for help in emergencies. There are also several channels earmarked for commercial use. Channel 9 is used and monitored by full-time drawbridges. A boater needing passage through a bridge can switch to channel 9, hail the bridge tender and request an opening. This is done by calling the bridge name twice, then your call sign. Channel 13 is the commercial vessel channel and is used and monitored by commercial ships, dredge operations and river pilots. While the U.S. Coast Guard monitors channel 16, their primary working channel is 21. We here at Chatham County Marine Patrol also monitor channels 16 and 13. The VHF radio is a very important piece of equipment and when used properly could save your life. Like all other equipment aboard your vessel, it’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Be Safe.
If you have questions for Sgt. Walker, email: info@southerntidesmagazine.com August 2016
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Scientific Research Dives By Gray’s Reef Staff
T
he research cruise at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS), in July, was very productive. In ten days, 113 dives were completed by two- or three-person dive teams, exploring more than 10,000 feet of the reef and utilizing both the 187-foot NOAA Ship Nancy Foster and the 85-foot NOAA R/V Sand Tiger. Scientific research divers examined relationships between large predatory fish and their smaller prey during the first-ever nighttime dives, and acoustic fish surveys were taken by scientists aboard the Nancy Foster at different times during the day and night. Luke Sanchez, an undergraduate research assistant from the University of Connecticut, said, “I spent the weeks before this trip going over fish identification guides for Gray’s Reef and reading over papers to learn more about past research. As much as I studied, actually jumping in the water turned out to be the best way to learn what was really here. One of my favorite parts of diving here is being able to watch, from in the water, how schools of fish move to evade predators.” As with any dive trip at Gray’s Reef, someone always sees something unexpected. This time, a pair of research divers landed in the sanctuary some yards away from a reef ledge. As they explored the sandy habitat, they encountered a seahorse. It was just four inches long and had attached itself to a sea fan with its tail. Elsewhere in the sanctuary, scientific dive teams studied a variety of marine organisms. Fish, sea urchins, sea stars, and other marine animals were studied at 66 different sites in Gray’s Reef. On the last day of the cruise, a team of scientists, led by biology professor Dr. Tim Henkel, collected 14 sea urchins that they took back to the lab at Valdosta State University, to see if the
Juvenile cubyu fish and sponge. Photo by Dr. Tim Henkel, Valdosta State University
urchins can carry acoustic transmitters. If successful in lab experiments, the hope is to attach transmitters and study the urchin’s movements on Gray’s Reef. That would be quite a sight for recreational divers enjoying a weekend dive! All of the projects undertaken during this research cruise included observations from inside and outside the sanctuary’s research area. For example, Dr. Danny Gleason, of Georgia Southern University, and his team, are studying bottom-dwelling invertebrates — such as sponges, corals, and sea squirts — that encrust the rocky outcroppings of Gray’s Reef. As part of their experiments, they are careful to monitor organisms from areas both inside and outside the sanctuary to determine if human activities outside the research area result in outcomes that are different from changes inside the research area. This meticulous, long-term science will help provide the staff of GRNMS with vital information to keep the sanctuary healthy. It is this type of slow but steady scientific research that adds to the world’s knowledge and understanding of the ocean. “Most of us have heard that only a small portion of our ocean has been explored, and that is true,” said Sarah Fangman, a marine scientist who also serves as superintendent of Gray’s Reef. “The ocean covers more than 70% of the surface of the Earth, and about 97% of the Earth’s water is found in the ocean. It is a privilege to work with scientists from universities and other NOAA departments to learn as much as we can about the ocean off the coast of Georgia.”
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D id Y ou Know? Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboids) can be found stealing bait in waters from Massachusetts to the Yucatan Penninsula, though as they age, they become almost vegetarian in their food preferences. • The name Pinfish comes from the small, sharp, forwardpointing spine in front of the 12 dorsal fin spines. • In addition to the distinctive spines, pinfish can also be easily identified by a round black spot behind the gill plate. • Pinfish spawn offshore in late fall and early winter. • Juvenile pinfish inhabit shallow estuaries while adults prefer deeper channels. •
Pinfish are a favored food of speckled sea trout, redfish and flounder. Pinfish data provided by Erin Weeks, SC DNR Above: Pinfish have a lifespan of about seven years. Image provided by Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center/SC DNR
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Spartina Southern Tides Magazine is pleased to present Dory Ingram, contributing writer and this month’s featured artist.
Opposite Page: Spartina Rhizomes I Above, Left to Right: Spartina Refugia VII; Spartina Refugia VIII; Spartina Refugia II Photos by Dory Ingram
By Dory Ingram
W
hen we moved to Beaufort County from urban Atlanta four years ago in October, one of the first things I did after settling in was pick up a book by Charles Seabrook, titled The World of the Salt Marsh: Appreciating and Protecting the Tidal Marshes of the Southeastern Atlantic Coast. Until I read that book the only thing I knew about marshes was that they’re beautiful and everyone seemingly wants to live close to them, including us. After just a few chapters, I was completely captivated by Spartina alterniflora, the vascular plant that dominates our Beaufort County landscape, one of the few plants that can withstand periodic inundation by salt water, and the basis of the food web in the marsh. I recalled a long-ago trip to Sapelo Island, in which I learned that periwinkle snails move up the stalks of Spartina when the tide comes in, and back down when the tide goes out. But there is so much more! Among other things, I had yet to learn that those snails also farm and cultivate the fungus they eat on those same stalks of Spartina. That tiny insects hide inside bubbles of air at high tide. And that when it dies off, Spartina continues to release nutrients into the waters, eventually washing up on beaches as wrack, providing habitat for nesting shorebirds. At one point, I put down Seabrook’s book and ran outside to the marsh behind our house, braving the pluff mud to examine a Spartina stalk and see if the salt residue on it actually sparkled in the sun at low tide as Seabrook said it would. It did. The series of work that I call “Spartina” evolved out of an earlier installation about safety and security, in human nature and in the natural world. For several years I had been experimenting with layers of transparent panels composed of archival August 2016
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Top, Left to Right: The Abyss, and Soldiers of the Apocalypse, both from her Brood Year series. Photos by Al Johnson Below: Dory with her installation at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Center. Photo by Rachel Jones
tissue paper and polymer emulsion. Embedded in those layers were photographic images that represent security: stop signs, security signs, warning signs, the marsh protection act, a guard tower, and throughout, like a mantra, the word “protect.” Once I covered a wall in a gallery with these images. Now they lay before me, transparent, layered, embedded with hidden signs and secrets, waiting to be built upon with more layers and textures, until they began to suggest an abstracted vision of the salt marsh and a plea for marsh protection. “Spartina” is currently on view at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Center. It represents a dialogue between two voices, side by side on the gallery walls. The written narratives speak to the natural cycles we cannot see at work in the marsh itself, to the secrets that it harbors and the life that it nurtures and protects. The tissue and polymer assemblages speak to our impact on the delicate ecosystem of the salt marsh, and to the protection the marsh requires of us. What inspires me? What we know and what we have yet to learn about the complexity, the profound intelligence and the symbiosis of nature. What frightens me? What we don’t know, what we don’t yet understand and what we have not yet learned to respect. 14
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
SkIO Marine Carbon Study By Michael Sullivan Skidaway Institure of Oceanography
S
cientists at the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) have received a $527,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Chemical Oceanography Program to answer one of the long-standing questions about carbon in the ocean—the rate sunlight produces carbon dioxide from organic carbon molecules in the sea. Jay Brandes, Leanne Powers and Aron Stubbins will use a new technique they developed to measure this process, known as photo-degradation. The ocean is full of millions of different types of organic compounds. Some are consumed by bacteria, but many are not easily consumed and remain in the ocean for hundreds or thousands of years. However, near the surface, sunlight causes the breakdown of organic compounds and converts them into carbon dioxide through photo-degradation. Until recently, this process has been nearly impossible to measure directly in most of the ocean because the additional carbon dioxide produced per day is tiny compared to the existing high concentration of CO2 present in the sea. Brandes described the problem as looking for a needle in a haystack. “You might think this is not important because it is hard to measure, but that’s not true,” he said. “We’re talking about a process that takes place across the whole ocean. When you integrate that over such a vast area, it becomes a potentially very important process.” The project became possible when the team developed a new technique to measure the change in CO2 concentration in a seawater sample. The concept was the brainchild of Powers, a Skidaway Institute post-doctoral research associate.
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The technique uses carbon 13, a rare, stable isotope of carbon that contains an extra neutron in its nucleus. Researchers will add a carbon 13 compound to a sample of seawater, then bombard the sample with light. The scientists will then use an instrument known as an isotope ratio mass spectrometer to measure the changes in CO2 concentration. According to Brandes, this project will be breaking new ground in the field of chemical oceanography. “We don’t know what the photo-degradation rates are in most of the ocean,” he said. “We are going to establish the first numbers for that.” The team plans to take samples off the Georgia coast, as well as from Bermuda and Hawaii. While they will continue to refine the carbon 13 technique, Brandes said it is now time to put that tool to work. “It is now a matter of establishing what the numbers are in these different locations and trying to develop a global budget,” he said. “Just how much dissolved organic carbon is removed and converted to CO2 every year?” The project is funded for three years. The team will also create an aquarium exhibit at the UGA Aquarium, on the Skidaway Island campus, to help student groups and the public understand river and ocean color.
Left to Right: Leanne Powers, Aron Stubbins, and Jay Brandes. Photo provided by UGA SkIO
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Women of the Water
Cathy Sakas By Amy Thurman
W
here does one start in telling the story of a living legend? I have no doubt that description will make her blush and shake her head in disagreement, but when her name comes up in conversation, that’s exactly the sort of reverence Cathy Sakas is accorded in our community. When I contacted her to ask for an interview for our Women of the Water series, she suggested Sarah Fangman would be a better subject, but that she’d be happy to talk with me about the Gray’s Reef Foundation instead. After I explained that we’d already featured Sarah and that the purpose of the series was to inspire other women who love the water, she agreed to the interview. One of Cathy’s earliest memories, at around age three, is of the power of the ocean. Her mother often took her and her 16
older brother to the beach, not far from her childhood home on the South banks of the Chesapeake. On one outing as she was playing in the surf she looked up to see her mother racing toward her. “There were looks of horror on everyone’s faces,” Cathy recalled. But before her mother could reach her, a huge rogue wave crashed over Cathy and yanked her away from the beach. Although certainly any mother’s worst nightmare, and she lost her bathing suit in the powerful current, she was unhurt and it didn’t occur to young Cathy to be afraid. Quite the opposite. “I loved it!” she said with a laugh. She never lost that love of the water and the outdoors. While working her way through college at a phone company, she was once offered a promotion but turned it down. “I wouldn’t have it. I always knew I wanted to be outside. I wanted to be a biologist, in the field, not in some office.” She received her degrees from Armstrong – a Bachelor of Science in biology, specializing in marine and terrestrial, tropical and subtropical environments – and, a decade later, her Masters in Science Education. In her first “real” job, with Wilderness Southeast, she led educational hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and snorkeling expeditions throughout the Southeastern U.S., the Caribbean and even Central America. A few years later she was recruited to start up the guest business on Little St. Simons Island. After that she worked at Oatland Island Education Center teaching two to three different classes each day, in addition to tending to the resident pack of timber wolves, white-tail deer and owls. It was during this time Cathy decided she wanted to give TV SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
OppOpposite Page: Cathy canoeing our local waters. Photo provided by GRNMS This page top: Cathy diving in the Jane Yarn wheelhouse. Middle: Daniel Sweatte teaching Cathy to tie a monkey’s fist, aboard the R/V Savannah. Photo provided by GRNMS. Bottom: Cathy leading a Georgia Conservancy paddle in the Okefenokee. Photo by Andre Turner Photography
a shot and share the outdoors with a larger audience. So she paid a visit to the Georgia Public Television offices and told them she had an idea for a series. They agreed to send a cameraman into the marsh with her and filming began on a pilot. After getting funding from the second corporation she took her pilot to, she filmed the two fivepart series, Coastal Naturalist. The series went national, then international and won several regional Emmy awards. Next came a one-hour special, Secret Seashores, which is still used as a fundraiser on GPTV. After filming was complete, Cathy took a break to go sailing in the Pacific with a friend, on a 37-foot Olsen sloop. They spent seven months sailing around Japan, then set sail for the Marshall Islands. For 15 of the 28 days it took to cross the open ocean they experienced gale force winds and 30to 40-foot seas. “For me it was about trusting the boat,” Cathy recalled. “After dangerously sailing up and down the enormous waves for two days we thankfully were finally able to backwind the storm jib, then it was beautiful, really comfortable after that, and much less frightening.” After two months in the Marshall Islands, she walked into the post office one day to find she had a fax from her producer at GPTV, who’d been trying to reach her for weeks. The premier for her series was to take place in three days. She immediately arranged travel, including an oceanic flight, and headed home. “It was a blur,” she said, laughing. “I barely made it. A friend was waiting for me with a dress and heels and matching jewelry, and she did my hair and make-up. It was the first time I’d worn heels in over a year and I didn’t even have my land legs yet!” Cathy’s next adventure came in the form of a lunch invitation from Reed Bohne, then Superintendent of NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. “He took me to lunch and made me an offer I couldn’t, and didn’t, refuse,” she said. “But what was meant to be an 18-month job, ended up being a 15-year career.” In her position with Gray’s Reef, she became a NOAA diver, and received
training to be a submersible pilot, operating over a dozen missions in a Deepworker 2000 submersible vessel. Next she trained to be an aquanaut and spent nine days underwater in the Aquarius Reef Base underwater habitat in the Florida Keys. Her team descended to the habitat on September 11, 2001. “We had no idea what was happening at the surface,” she said, recalling one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. “There was some debate among the surface team as to whether or not they should tell us, but they did. When they first told us, I thought someone was making a horrific, twisted joke. But it wasn’t a joke.” Each of the six aquanauts on the team was allowed to call their families. Cathy called her husband, Chris Morris, who told her, “Just stay on the bottom, dear. Seems you’re safer there than at the surface!” Not long after her underwater mission ended, Cathy was contacted by Turner South, a branch of Turner Broadcasting, with a request to interview her as part of a series in the making. But after the interview, they got in touch with her once more with an offer to reshoot, this time with her as the host. After gaining permission from NOAA (she was still an employee), Cathy filmed three seasons, 66 episodes, of The Natural South, an original, multiple Telly award-winning series featuring the southeastern natural environment she so loves. In 2010, Cathy co-founded Ocean Exchange, an international effort to promote solutions that address ocean and coastal issues around the globe. The organization funds “solution providers,” innovators who create solutions to problems facing our coasts and ocean. Jeff Hart, Greg McFall, and Cathy taking revenge on green mussels. Cathy later retired from Gray’s Reef. Though Photo provided by GRNMS when referring to Cathy, her associates often smile and use air quotes when they say “retired.” Like many who are passionate about what they do, she found it hard to step away and was contracted to set up the Gray’s Reef chapter of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. She handpicked people from the community to serve on the first board of the organization, a not-for-profit that provides support and fundraising for the sanctuary. “We exceeded our goals the first year, and although we’re not at the end of our second fiscal year yet, we’ve already exceeded our goals again!” she said proudly. If that wasn’t enough to keep her busy in her so-called retirement, she teaches a course in biomimicry at SCAD in the fall and spring. Biomimicry is a method of finding solutions to human issues using patterns and strategies found in nature. “I’m the scientist at the design table, a translator,” she said of her role in helping design students understand terminology and other aspects of the scientific side of things. When asked what she enjoys doing in her free time, Cathy responded in the same way every woman we’ve spoken with has, “What free time?” followed by a laugh. “I spend a lot of time in the Okefenokee, leading canoe and kayak trips,” she said, “and I go to the Everglades every other year for a 5-day paddle in the 10,000 Islands area.” When asked to share one thought in parting, Cathy said, “It’s all about the ocean. Our planet is run by the ocean. For centuries, we humans have assumed that it can absorb everything we dump into it, but that’s not the case; we’re making it more acidic. We can’t continue to foul our ocean.” From an unafraid three-year-old toddler nearly carried out to sea, to the woman who’s dedicated her life to her passion of educating others and sharing her knowledge, Cathy is truly a woman of the water and an inspiration.
To learn more about Cathy’s favorite foundations, please visit: www.graysreefnmsf.org www.oceanexchange.org Cathy conducting helicopter egress training. Photo provided by GRNMS
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SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
JOIN US FOR
SATURDAY, 6pm OCTOBER 22, 2016
Benefiting the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s Education and Research
at the Maritime Center on Lemon Island
Join us for an evening benefiting education and research with famed National Geographic Explorer, DR. ROBERT BALLARD, discoverer of the wrecks R.M.S. Titanic, Bismarck and Yorktown. We will also honor Environmental Steward, NANCY SCHILLING. Guests will enjoy a seated lowcountry dinner, engaging discussion, live musical entertainment and silent auction. ♦ ONLY
50 SEATS REMAINING ♦
For tickets, please contact: Alicia Taylor at 843.645.7774 www.portroyalsoundfoundation.org
River Street Dolphin Tour Business for Sale! • $390K - Financing available with $150K down • 48 Passenger USCG inspected vessel • www.dolphin-magic.com
For more information, contact:
Captain Derek Brown at divingderek@comcast.net This could be your office!
Fishin’ For Jamie 2016 Tournament Results Jamie’s Kids
1st Place: Ben Hall (10.9 pounds)
CIRCA CIRCA 1870 1870
GOODBREAD HOUSE
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2nd Place: Micah Gutting (6.5 pounds)
WHOLE HOUSE RENTAL FOR THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS RESERVE NOW!
3rd Place: Jackson Paul
Includes four standard guest rooms & two suites, all with large private bathrooms, use of kitchen, two kitchenettes, and parlor. Walking distance to great restaurants, historic downtown, & the Cumberland Island Ferry.
(5.3 pounds)
Pet Friendly! (912) 882-7490 www.g dbreadhouse.com info@g dbreadhouse.com 209 OSBORNE STREET . Marys, GA 31558
Kid’s Biggest Fish Winner: Ben Hall (4.6 pounds) Kid’s Smallest Fish Winner: Jackson Paul (.4 pounds) 20
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
Adults Overall Smallest Fish
Robert Hale won “Smallest Fish” at a whopping .1 pounds. Yes, the decimal is in the right place! Hey Robert, aren’t you supposed to catch your bait before you start fishing?
1st Place:
James Keeran (11.6 pounds) Also Biggest Fish at 4.7 pounds! Photo by Erin Wainwright
2nd Place:
Phillip Johnson (10.3 pounds)
3rd Place:
Mike Smith (9.6 pounds)
PINAULT’S DEFENSIVE SOLUTIONS
All photos, except where credited otherwise, were provided by Fishin’ For Jamie.
ADAMS’ BAIT HOUSE (Thunderbolt boat ramp)
Shrimp • Frozen Bait • Squid Balley Hoo • Eel Cigar Minnows • Finger Mullet 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed Mondays
Captain Rick Reynolds Captain Jeremy Reynolds
912-844-1774 • 912-844-8086
Call Pam for reservations: 912-844-8088 • Fish all coastal species • 4 to 6 hour trips available
Firearm Sales & Training For the Whole Family
NRA Certified, Former Military and Law Enforcement Instructors Rifles • Shotguns Semi-Auto Pistols • Revolvers Ammo • Reloading Supplies Benchmade Knives Holsters, including Can-Can $25 FFL Transfers If we don’t have it, we can order it! 3766 Hwy 17, Suite 103 Richmond Hill, GA
912-358-2023
For More Information Visit:
www.ThunderboltCharters.com
912-856-0398
Bahia Bleu/Morningstar Marina 2812 River Drive, Thunderbolt, GA
Meet Archelon. This cast replica of a giant sea turtle fossil is suspended from the ceiling of the center’s gift shop and is often the first thing visitors see when entering. The Archelon ischyros lived about 74 million years ago and the original fossil was excavated in South Dakota in the 1970s. It’s the most complete fossil of this species in existence. Photo by Keely Kasper
By Amy Thurman
O
ne of the best things about living in our coastal region is the wide variety of species that either make their homes here or migrate through during the year. A broad range of shore birds, f i s h , shell fish, dolphin, manatees, right whales, and of course, sea turtles. When these creatures are injured or stranded, there are a number of organizations in the region that work to first return them to health, then return them to the wild. One such organization is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, on Jekyll Island. We were invited to spend a morning at the center and see first-hand the patients in their care and the work they do. We were greeted by Holly Hickman and Nicole Robbins and our tour began. Our first stop was surgery, where a juvenile Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle named Camachee was receiving care. Dr. Terry Norton, the center’s founder, director, and veterinarian, was removing damaged fragments from her shell. Camachee’s injury, like 20-50% of all sea turtle injuries treated at the center, was the result of a boat strike. Dr. Norton and the center staff treat around 15 turtles each 22
day. Our next stop was a series of tubs and tanks containing diamondback terrapins of varying ages. The mature terrapins in the center’s care are being rehabilitated for a variety of ailments before being returned to the wild. So far this year, the center has treated and release eight terrapins and ten more are currently receiving care. In addition to treating injured terrapins, the center also incubates terrapin eggs. There are approximately 270 currently being incubated and over 100 have been hatched this season. Like sea turtles, the sex of terrapins is determined by nest temperatures, and these eggs are being incubated to be female. Only one-in-four terrapins in the wild are female at this time so boosting the number of females helps the species continue to grow. As you might recall from the article on diamondback terrapins in the June issue of Southern Tides, SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
V isiting the
Georgia
Sea Turtle
Center
Dr. Norton and technicians at work on Camachee. After the wound has been cleaned, bone cement, similar to a liquid bandage will be applied. When hardened it serves as a waterproof dressing that will last about a week. Photo by Keely Kasper
Left: A technician gives guests a chance to see a turtle close up as she takes her from her tank to the surgery unit. Inset photos: Terrapin hatchlings. Photos by Keely Kasper
the species is still a fraction of its former numbers due to commercial uses in the past. Most of the young terrapins hatched at the Sea Turtle Center will be released shortly after hatching, but about 20 will be included in the Kickstarter Program. In this program, the terrapins remain at the center for about a year, giving them time to grow and become stronger. After a year, when they’re similar in size to a sand dollar, they’re released, giving them a better chance of survival in the wild. Our next stop was the commissary where food is prepared for the animals. There, we learned that in addition to providing care, the center’s staff also contributes to research, such as the Mazuri study. Staff recorded the diets and took blood samples of loggerhead sea turtles. The data was then used to develop the Mazuri Vita-Zu Sea Turtle Vitamin, which is given to all patients to aid in their overall health and recovery. 24
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August 2016
Above: A loggerhead sea turtle swimming in her tank. Below: Our guides for our visit, Meggan Hood (left) and Nicole Robbins. Photos by Keely Kasper
In addition to sea turtles and diamondback terrapins, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has treated or cared for gopher tortoises, yellow-bellied sliders, box turtles, and snakes, to name a few. On occasion even various birds have been brought to the center for interim care until they can be transported to other facilities. Education is another key purpose of the center and they offer a wide variety of programs to the public, including Homeschool Saturday, Gatorology 101, and Turtle Walks. Tours are given to school groups, scout troops, and groups of teachers. Can’t get your students to the center? The Distance Learning Program uses Skype to give students an interactive tour of the center from anywhere. Although they do receive some funding, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center relies heavily on help from the community. There are over 100 volunteers who give their time in various roles at the center alongside staff, bee farmers donate honey, which has antimicrobial agents, and even donations of towels help. The center has an Amazon Wish List, sales in the center’s gift shop help, and bricks engraved with your name can be purchased and installed in the walkway to the center’s front entrance. We’re lucky to have such a great resource right here. Take the time to visit the website, then visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. You won’t be disappointed.
Helpful Links
To report an injured or stranded turtle call:
1-800-2-SAVE-ME
For information about GSTC programs, visit: http://gstc.jekyllisland.com/programs/ For information about how you can help, visit: http://gstc.jekyllisland.com/stewardship/ how-you-can-help/ To view GSTC’s Amazon Wish List, go to Amazon, hover over “Lists” (top right), click Find a List.
August 2016
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
25
ISLE OF
HOPE
MARINA
Sea Turtle Release
We Provide Loaner Cars! • Located in scenic and historic Isle of Hope • New water, electric, fuel, and pump-out systems • High-speed Wi-Fi and TV available at every slip • Laundry facilities on premises, bicycles, Wall Street Journal, and More! • 4000 feet of concrete floating docks (including 600 feet of deep-water face docks)
LARGE YACHTS UP TO 220 FEET AND TRANSIENT BOATS WELCOME!
(912) 354-8187 50 Bluff Drive Savannah, GA VHF Channel 16
By Meggan Hood Senior Director of Marketing Jekyll Island Authority
O
n Friday, July 29, two sea turtles departed the shore of Jekyll Island and returned to the ocean. This isn’t a story of new hatchlings finding their way to the water, but rather the story of how the Georgia Sea Turtle Center helped two injured sea turtles find their way home. In its nine years of operation, the center has healed and released more than 1,650 animals, just like the two patients in July. One of the lucky patients released was Rhino, a sub-adult Loggerhead sea turtle, who was found stranded on the beach on Cumberland Island. Upon arrival at the center, Rhino received fluids, iron, amikacin (a type of antibiotic), and calcium in the form of TPN (total parenteral nutrition), a method of feeding where fluids are given into a vein, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract. Center staff also used betadine scrub to wipe down Rhino’s carapace (shell) and flippers to remove some of the epibiota living on his shell, such as skeleton shrimp, leeches, and barnacles. Rhino had a very heavy amount of barnacles all over his body, including several stacked on his beak, resembling a rhino horn. After receiving fluids and medications, Rhino was put into a shallow freshwater bath to aid in rehydration and removal of the remaining epibiota. Once Rhino was healthy again, the center arranged for a proper send-off on the beach of Jekyll Island. More than 400 of Rhino’s closest friends came out to say goodbye and wish him well. Rhino was joined by a juvenile Kemps Ridley sea turtle who was caught by a fisherman on Jekyll Island. The fish hook was removed and he was able to return home quickly. Sea turtle releases are a great way to educate the public about the many dangers sea turtles face and how we can all be better stewards of this planet. At a release we teach guests about sea turtle rehabilitation and treatment, and they have the chance to see a sea turtle up close. It’s a unique and memorable way to share the message and mission of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. 26
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
Opposite Page: Rhino returning to the ocean. This Page, Top: A Kemp’s Ridley is released after having a fish hook removed from it’s mouth. Bottom: Dr. Norton and GSTC staff carry Rhino to the waterline to release him. Photos provided by Jekyll Island Authority
Maritime Metalworks Mobile Fabrication and Repair Boat Railings Towers T-Tops Trailers
Serving the Savannah Area
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190 Thunderbird Drive Richmond Hill 912.459.1414 ogeecheemarine@ymail.com
OGEECHEE MARINE IS RICHMOND HILL’S ONLY FACTORY AUTHORIZED YAMAHA OUTBOARD SALES AND WARRANTY SERVICE CENTER. WE ARE ALSO PROUD TO CARRY WAR EAGLE BRAND ALUMINUM BOATS.
Boat Repair • Bottom Painting • Fiberglass • Boat Storage
The
Best Of ... S
outhern Tides readers, here’s your chance to pay tribute to your local boating and marine-related favorites! There are a lot of “Best Of” polls out there and they serve a dual purpose in promoting local businesses and giving readers a voice to express their appreciation. And it’s just plain fun! So here’s our version, all water-related of course, covering all areas from Beaufort, SC, to St. Marys, GA. Results will be featured in the September, first anniversary issue of Southern Tides Magazine. We’ll make this an annual feature, so if you have ideas for additional categories, please send them in.
all about the water Survey deadline is Friday, August 19, so get us your entries! There are multiple ways to participate: • Write in your answers directly on this page and scan or take a clear photo of the page, then email it to info@southerntidesmagazine.com • Write in your answers and mail it to Southern Tides Magazine, PO Box 30724, Savannah, GA 31410 – but hurry to make sure we get it in time to be tallied! • Email us for a digital copy you can complete and return to us • Visit our Facebook page for a link to an online survey site (at print time we’re selecting the best site and setting up our survey) • Our advertisers and other businesses will have print copies of the survey to hand out to their customers and guests, that you can then scan or photograph and send to us.
Getting on the Water
Boat Stuff
Best Marina
Best Boat Dealer
Best Boat Ramp
Best Boat Service
Best Kayak Tour/Rental
Best Boat Detailer
Best Jet Ski Rental
Best Canvas Shop
Best Dolphin Tour
Best Boat Supply Store
Best Eco Tour
Best Boat Show
Fishing
Destinations
Best Bait House
Best Boat Daytrip
Best Inshore Charter
Best Boat Weekend
Best Offshore Charter
Best Lighthouse
Best Fishing Club
Best Island
Sailing
Getting Involved
Best Sailing Club
Best NFP Organization
Best Sailing Program
Eating
Other
Best Seafood Market
Best Dock Builder
Best Seafood Restaurant Best Dockside Bar
Please tell us what area you’re voting in: Send results to info@southerntidesmagazine.com, or mail to: Southern Tides Magazine, PO Box 30724, Savannah, GA 31410. August 2016
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
29
T he B itter E nd Sentinels to the Past
By Captain J. Gary Hill
G
eorgia has a very short coastline of about 100 miles or so, but we have a number of lighthouses still intact. From the mouth of the Savannah River to Little Cumberland Island, I can think of nine off the top of my head. Add a couple from Hunting Island and Hilton Head to the list and there are enough to keep any lighthouse enthusiast busy. Ranging from very small to very tall, from closed and almost forgotten to visited daily, these proud beacons harken back to an earlier era, to the days before GPS, NavNet, radar, and a host of other tools we’ve come to rely on. Placed in strategic locations, they warned mariners of peril and marked entrances to rivers and ports. Visible at night many miles offshore, they stood watch to guide lonely ships safely on their way. The night signals varied from light to light, some being stationary, others rotating at a determined time interval or in a blinking pattern. In the early days of sail, the navigator often knew these patterns by heart, as many lives counted on their uncanny skills of moving a sailing vessel across thousands of miles of open water. However, they also had a Light List Log detailing this information in the event the navigator perished at sea and another crew member had to assume his duties. Not only was the light pattern important to know, but the paint scheme, which served as a day mark, was equally important. No two lighthouses are painted the same to avoid any confusion to mariners coming in from sea. Let’s say a mariner bound for Charleston ended up off course. If he saw a lighthouse with a black band around the base, a white band around the middle and a black band around the top (I call it the double-stuffed Oreo paint scheme), he would know he was off the coast of Tybee Island and needed to turn to 30
Starboard. Lighthouses are found throughout literature, in poetry and in song, often used as analogies. They work their way into our hearts and many of us who spend time on the water have a favorite one or two. For me, it’s Cockspur Island Lighthouse, at the mouth of the South Channel of the Savannah River, which was used as a main waterway into Savannah in the 1800s. Though her light has been extinguished since 1909, she saw the age of sail turn to steam, she saw the iron horse (the railroad) show up in 1887, as well as the first automobiles arriving in the early 1900s. She’s greeted mariners, train passengers, millions of tourists, and locals alike. She saw the age of the rifled cannon as she stood amidst the
Cockspur Light Photo by Butch Petty
Siege of Fort Pulaski. She even almost had a nuclear bomb fall on her head (that’s another story) and still she stands as a proud sentinel to the past. Take a little time to visit these pieces of maritime history and you won’t be disappointed. See y’all on the water!
Email Gary: jgaryhill@gmail.com
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
August 2016
22nd Annual
CoastFest Saturday, October 1, 2016 10am - 4pm
Celebrate Georgia’s Coastal Natural Resources! Something for everyone! Native American Programs with Jim Sawgrass Black powder demos • Cannon firings Working bee hive • Learn to kayak Indigo snakes • Turtles • Birds of prey Shrimp touch tank • Stingrays • Giant Aquarium Pirates & parrots • Fishing Rodeo
Enjoy the day at this Free Family-friendly Event
CoastFest is Hosted by Georgia DNR Conservation Way at US 17 South Brunswick, GA Near the Sidney Lanier Bridge For information call 912.264.7218 or visit CoastalGaDNR.org
August 2016
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