I'm thrilled to show you a music video I've made for the film. The song, "Lost at Sea," was written, performed and produced by a wonderful friend of mine, Mike White.
I've known Mike for roughly 34 years and he's truly my second brother. But, even if that were not the case, his song is the most fitting tribute to the spirit of Journey Home that I could have possibly imagined!
Though this video was made for promotional purposes, the song will also be featured in the documentary.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!
Cheers,
-Rick

Trace made a successful journey back to the ocean May 16, from Delray Beach. The dark skies, the rain...even the waves cut Trace a break as he took off in calm, warm waters.

Seven months. Twenty-six and a half hours of raw footage. Filming sites included Juno Beach, Ft. Pierce, Hutchinson Island, Delray Beach and more than five miles out in the open ocean. More than $7,800 spent on the production... and it all comes down to this moment.
One of the "stars" - hell, THE star - is now cleared for release.
When the release happens (God willing it happens without a hitch!), I will have all of the pieces to one of the most heartwarming and incredible stories of sea turtle rescue, rehab and survival ever told.  That being said, there are thousands of these stories taking place at rehab centers all over the world. Just very few filmmakers have been as lucky and free to put together such a complete story and to do so without producers or studio folks telling them how and what to create.
I know I have been really lucky to experience the arrival, treatment, progress and, now, release of a sea turtle who was gravely injured by derilect fishing gear.
When you watch the footage from Day 1 until now and you see how much it has strengthened and adapted to its challenges, you cannot help but admire the little green.
This release will hopefully follow the same fashion as one I'd filmed before. This patient being a smaller juvenile, it will likely be fast and furious. To that end (and I really hope the gamble pays off) I've decided to film the entire release with my handheld underwater camera. There's a pic of the new rig below.
Here's hoping for calm seas, clear skies and a dash of luck on release day!

Cheers,
-Rick

It might not seem like much...just another sunrise. But today's sunrise filming inlcuded a sea turtle nest (still weeks away from hatchlings). The footage is powerful, without being overly dramatic.
The clip below is a time-lapsed version that will not appear in the documentary. I thought you folks might like to see it this way, though. By the way, I removed the audio.
Cheers,
-Rick

I had the idea to go and take pics of the big, giant full moon tonight. Of course, living on an island (and less than 400 feet from the beach), I immediately thought of setting up my camera on the strand.
When I got to my beach I quickly forgot about the big yellow orb in the sky. I was sidetracked by something I found way more amazing....a new sea turtle nest.
My beach now has two nests (that I know of) and likely more to follow. It makes sense. The stretch of beach I call "my beach" is very dark at night. There are no tall buildings nearby nor streetlights in the parking lot.Also, my beach sees a lot less traffic on it, human or otherwise.
You can see the nest in the pictrure below and you can also see that further down the beach the area is not so great for sea turtles.
It's good for me, though, that I get to witness their wonder. Those nests are beautiful things...and soon - if all goes well - hundreds of hatchlings will come out of the sand.

Cheers,
-RW

Spent more than four hours at LMC filming today.
Lots of changes and tons of great footage in the bag!
Some things stay the same. In this case - following turtle rehab - change is a constant. New turtles come in, rehabilitated ones go back to the ocean and others continue to get healthy. Of course, some are lost, too. It's all part of the ebb and flow of dealing with the sick and injured turtles.
Here's a quick photo blog to show you some highlights from today.
Cheers,
-RW