I love it when I head out with nothing more in mind than to shoot
some B-roll and next thing I know, I’m filming one of the most meaningful
sequences of the entire documentary.
That was today for me.
I expected to spend some time filming the turtles in their tanks,
maybe some close-ups of Trace (since he never seems to want to sit still for me)
and be glad to have some more footage in the
can.
It wasn’t long after arriving at LMC that I learned Zoe was going
to be cast in orthodontic plaster to create a mold from which a brace for her
broken shell will be manufactured.
Two staff members from a local dentistry came out to perform the
unique procedure, while center staff
assisted.
Now, remember, Zoe came in to the center on the edge of death. In
fact, center staff was reluctant to say that the turtle might even survive that
first night. “She” (truth is, it could be a male or female. It’s notoriously
difficult to sex sub-adult sea turtles) had been hit by a boat propeller, her
carapace slashed open and suffered internal damages. There was a moment when
euthanizing her was a viable option.
I filmed her the day she came in. I spent time on Zoe’s footage
because I was appalled at the damage wrought by human
hands.
Zoe defied the odds and was still alive and fighting the next
week when I came to film again. It was, however, still unclear if she was
paralyzed from the injuries.
As the weeks have turned into months, I see Zoe every time I film
at LMC. She needs plenty of care and is being tube-fed but Zoe is a real
survivor.
So, it came as little surprise today, when I filmed them trying
to remove the dried plaster, that Zoe fought with the strength of a turtle twice
her size. Her spirit, her will to survive…it put a smile on my
face.
In the end, the mold has been successfully cast and Zoe will take
another great step towards recovery.
Video of her putting up a fight will be posted shortly.
Cheers,
-RW
some B-roll and next thing I know, I’m filming one of the most meaningful
sequences of the entire documentary.
That was today for me.
I expected to spend some time filming the turtles in their tanks,
maybe some close-ups of Trace (since he never seems to want to sit still for me)
and be glad to have some more footage in the
can.
It wasn’t long after arriving at LMC that I learned Zoe was going
to be cast in orthodontic plaster to create a mold from which a brace for her
broken shell will be manufactured.
Two staff members from a local dentistry came out to perform the
unique procedure, while center staff
assisted.
Now, remember, Zoe came in to the center on the edge of death. In
fact, center staff was reluctant to say that the turtle might even survive that
first night. “She” (truth is, it could be a male or female. It’s notoriously
difficult to sex sub-adult sea turtles) had been hit by a boat propeller, her
carapace slashed open and suffered internal damages. There was a moment when
euthanizing her was a viable option.
I filmed her the day she came in. I spent time on Zoe’s footage
because I was appalled at the damage wrought by human
hands.
Zoe defied the odds and was still alive and fighting the next
week when I came to film again. It was, however, still unclear if she was
paralyzed from the injuries.
As the weeks have turned into months, I see Zoe every time I film
at LMC. She needs plenty of care and is being tube-fed but Zoe is a real
survivor.
So, it came as little surprise today, when I filmed them trying
to remove the dried plaster, that Zoe fought with the strength of a turtle twice
her size. Her spirit, her will to survive…it put a smile on my
face.
In the end, the mold has been successfully cast and Zoe will take
another great step towards recovery.
Video of her putting up a fight will be posted shortly.
Cheers,
-RW
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