It was a once in a lifetime for our whole family!!!  We have been enjoying the N.C. coast all our lives and part of that love has been the wonderful nature my family has had the opportunity to enjoy.  For us to be able to help one of those creatures was an absolute dream. 

 

We were heading home from a day of exploring the intercoastal waterway and just as we passed the Little River Marina we also passed one of the large boats that take people out to see the dolphins.  It was after passing this boat that we saw Calabash.  My husband saw her &we immediately went back thinking he would already be gone, but instead he was still bobbing on top of the water.  We knew something had to be wrong because they never stay up.  As we were observing her we could see bubbles coming from her shell and knew a boat must have hit her.  The area she was in is a high traffic area from tour boats and gambling ships to tons of wave riders.  We knew we couldn't leave her exposed there.  I had had several other creature rescues on Sunset this summer so I knew to call Carmel and Ray Zetts.  Carmel instructed us on what to do and so with my husband and two strapping son-in-laws we were able to lift her out and place her on an intertube in the boat.  She was a well behaved little lady and sat quietly while we got her back to Sunset where Ray and Carmel were waiting to bring her to your wonderful hospital.