No, I do not have a young something! Gigi is a Loggerhead sea turtle. We met yesterday by accident when I decided to go bicycling on Navarre Beach and came across her home at the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center. It’s a small building that was originally the visitor center for Navarre Beach Marine Park.  Gigi has her own pool.

Gigi coming up for a breath of air.

Cathy, one of her curators, enthusiastically explains her history and you understand that Gigi is special, and this organization is special for taking care of this animal in such an unusual setting. What is more unusual is that the Gigi is blind. Cathy explained how the turtle has adapted to this condition. She does respond to voices and is curious when her caretakers clean the pool. Being able to see Gigi and learn about her individual personality made me feel privileged. Watch the video! It is not just watching another fish. Observe her as she makes her way around the pool. Occasionally you will see her using her front flippers to feel the side of the pool. My feelings toward Gigi is not unusual. Others have remarked that they feel the same way. A local canvas maker, after seeing Gigi, has become inspired to make a cloth underwater environment in part of the pool to enrich Gigi’s tactile world. Gigi has been in captivity at Sea World for most of her life, some 30 years. She was  recently acquired by this conservation center. Having an inspiration can take strange forms. Here is a statue of Gigi made of what looks like cigarette butts.

To give you some sense of scale, I have included a photo of several common sea turtles on a chart. Gigi is about 4 foot long.

The center has other exhibits as well. The exhibits appeal to the young as well as adults.  They have several small aquariums which house local fish including some sea horses.