There is a large project underway near my home on Hutchinson Island.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working to restore the heavily eroded beaches near the Fort Pierce Inlet. Part of the process is taking sand from the ocean floor and dredging it onto the beach.
It seems that climate change is taking a dramatic toll on Florida's coastlines. Natural dunes and sandbars have been decimated by rising sea level and rough storm cycles.
The resulting loss of beach isn't simply rough on the eyes or bad for tourism, it's also another dramatic obstacle for already endangered sea turtles to overcome.
It's sea turtle nesting season and where I live, Hutchinson Island, is "prime time" nesting area. The inlet project aside, the beaches here are pretty wrecked. (see photo below, taken on the beach near my home)
Less beach area translates into a higher probability that nesting turtles or hatchlings will come into contact with people, manmade structures or worse. It also means turtles are likely to dig nests that are closer to the tide line and could possibly be washed out in summer storm surges.
Beach restoration projects sound like the "answer' to the problem but they are far from it. The dredging itself is thought to imperil the turtles who might get sucked into the dredging hoses and drown. Also, re-sanding the beaches is an expensive endeavor...one that less and less tax-payers are willing to support.
The best course of action is unclear. Certainly something can be done that will balance the turtles' ecosystem needs with our recreational desires.

I've been reading a lot lately. Mostly, I've been researching turtle behavior and the history of sea turtle conservation.
One book unrelated to the marine reptiles was "Moby Duck," by Donovan Hohn. It talks about the proliferation of plastics and plastic waste in our oceans.
Hohn was intrigued by "legendary" stories of a cargo container spill in the Pacific Ocean that (among other things) tossed thousands of toy plastic animals into the ocean. The animals, which were popularized by the "rubber" ducks among the group, would eventually traverse the ocean for years...even passing through the Northwest Passage and making landfall on the east coast of the U.S.
It's a great read but it also makes you think. Especially when it comes to sea turtles.
Part of what Hohn writes about are the "ghost nets," making their way around the world collecting and killing countless wildlife in their paths.
These nets are derelict pieces of commercial fishing gear made out of synthetic fibers that weigh (in some cases) thousands of pounds. And there are untold numbers of these lost or broken nets out there.
I see the result of some of the derelict gear at the turtle clinic at LMC.
Turtles that have come in with filament still wrapped around limbs, in their stomaches or around their necks. Rarely does it end well for the turtle who ingested plastic netting or line.
Of course, it's not just turtles that are being killed by the trash we humans have carelessly tossed into our seas.
Birds, dolphins, whales, sharks...most every other living thing in the water is negatively affected. Our own health is at risk, too. After all, where do you think our seafood comes from?
I guess the bottom line for the film...for Journey Home... is trying to put a spotlight on these man-made dangers. I'm hoping a little inspiration, a little knowledge, will someday result in change.