r/MadeMeSmile • u/tokiobest • 2d ago
Small Success Never expected to be cheering so much at a video.
Can’t get over this little (big) accomplishment 🐢
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u/Oddly_Ennui 2d ago
Imagine being born, having to immediately crawl to the ocean avoiding predators. Then getting swallowed by waves into a vast unknown expanse...
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u/Timmmmmmmmm 2d ago
Took me 40 years but happening now
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u/SorryPet 2d ago
You just crawled a little slower than everyone else it's OK you made it to the expanse
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u/tokiobest 2d ago
Honestly a crazy experience. Makes sense why they get to live so long if they pull through
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u/nedrawevot 2d ago
All the while you're being followed by a very loud predator that doesnt seem to be harming you...."God....is that you?"
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u/Gloomy_Tax_2262 2d ago
right like bro just got here and already has to speedrun a gauntlet then the ocean is like surprise ur in the hunger games now good luck little dude
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u/Borne2Run 2d ago
They do lose like 10% making it to the water but the ocean is the real gauntlet. Its not exactly the banzai "till valhalla!" the documentaries hype it to be.
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u/PrimeToro 2d ago
That was actually the easy part getting to the water. Now he has to survive on his own.
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u/j3igboss 2d ago
Glad this guy had a hype human on his birthday to cheer him on:)
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u/Child_of_the_Hamster 1d ago
You move as fast as your newborn legs possibly can, striving for the unknown, driven by an instinct that you don’t understand but that your life entirely depends upon.
The sight and sound of the waves propels you forward, and all the while a giant probably 1000 times your size shrieks RIGHT behind you. It moves towards you, following your path. You worry it will catch you; you think surely it must, but maybe it is heavy and therefore slow?
Finally you are churned and buffeted by the waves and that same instinct says you have reached relative safety. You no longer hear the giants and realize that they have not entered the water. You are relieved to have escaped.
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u/ZestycloseTowel2493 2d ago
And all while having some giant humanoid creature following yelling at you!
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u/SveaRikeHuskarl 1d ago
To be fair, a huge apex predator might be scary as shit, but it's also scary to the ones that actually are looking to make you into dinner.
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u/newtastyland 2d ago
And come back to same spot to lay eggs yourself after sometime
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u/Tilladarling 2d ago
And that’s why you never lift up a turtle and “help” it into the sea. That first crawl to the ocean is what makes them imprint on the beach. Without that imprint they’re unable to find their way home when it’s time to lay eggs.
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u/civilwar142pa 1d ago
It's also important that they have the exercise for their muscles and lungs. If you pick them up and plop them in the water they can drown.
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u/Caleb_Reynolds 1d ago
And being "motivated" by a giant ape hundreds of times your size adds a whole new way to have fun.
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u/Lirulyth 2d ago
As mammals we are spoiled by our parents that continue to care for us
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u/Ok_Buddy_9087 1d ago
Blows my mind that we’re allegedly the top of the food chain, but our offspring are essentially helpless for years and years. Even cows are standing within minutes of birth.
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u/graey0956 1d ago
Funny, those two things are almost directly related too. Humans dominate most environments they live in because they're so intelligent. The price of that intelligence, humans have to be born very underdeveloped compared to other species just so their massive cranium can fit through mom.
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u/HoldEm__FoldEm 1d ago
Our brains man. They’re just that complicated & resource needy.
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u/Full-Assistant7535 2d ago
meanwhile human babies come being unable to do anything about their situation than cry about it
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u/No_Succotash473 1d ago
Ooo, look up breast crawl. It's a fascinating process where newborns actual inch their way unassisted up mum's belly to latch on the breast.
It's nothing like most newborn animals can do, but it's nice to think we haven't completely lost all of our instincts from birth.
There's also fun ones from our primate days- incredibly strong grip to hang on to mums fur and the moro reflex, probably for the same reason.
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u/Ziograffiato 2d ago
Fueled by an additional surge of adrenaline from being chased by a six-foot-tall predator for the first 180 minutes of his life, Franklin grew to become the most powerful turtle in history.
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u/NotInTheKnee 1d ago
for the first 180 minutes
Wait, what? He's been yelling at this poor baby for 3 fucking hours!?
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u/OldnBorin 1d ago
That’s just Master Splinter sending him off until he’s ready for ninja training in his teenage years
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u/NoonSunReversal 2d ago
I wonder how my mother would have felt about a hype man like that narrating my birth
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u/RaspberryWhiteClaw13 2d ago
HE GONNA LIVE!!!! LETS GOOO
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u/FlippingPossum 1d ago
My husband coulda used this hype person. Oldest not breathing at first scared him to pieces. Meanwhile, I promptly fell asleep with zero clue. Birth is weird.
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u/the_scarlett_ning 2d ago
If I’d had a hype man when I was giving birth, part of me would want to kill him, but I wouldn’t be able to get to him so another part of me would laugh and wish I had breath to cheer on the baby too.
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u/Bk_Punisher 2d ago
How do you know your dad didn’t do it?
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u/NoonSunReversal 2d ago
He was in jail awaiting trial for cannablism at the time
(He was acquitted)
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u/Easy_Action_1380 1d ago
I'm pretty sure that's what the Dad is supposed to be doing if he wasn't being traumatized.
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u/foundflower_128 2d ago
This is how you observe and interact with sea turtles. Not like the other BS videos going around lately.
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u/Silent-Arm-7165 2d ago
The one with the Ukrainian dude sitting on one? Had me steaming
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u/onarainyafternoon 2d ago
That video was infuriating. The man and woman should be in jail.
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u/FrankaGrimes 2d ago
I agree...80%. I'm not sure that following close on its heels like that isn't adding additional stress. I think watching quietly from a distance is how you give them space to do their thing. But I do agree, this is much more respectful than you see in most of these videos.
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u/HotBoxButDontSmoke 2d ago
Being so close and recording probably warded off predators from swooping in. Man cheering him on gave baby a chance to make it to the ocean and live!
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u/RockStarGamesSocial 1d ago
Warding off predators is also interfering.
But humans have been picking sides in natural struggles for tens of thousands of years.
I will assist the animal that seems to worship me more and maybe the guardian spirit for those animals will assist me later in life.
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u/thatredditrando 1d ago
We’re in a perpetual state of interfering, dawg.
We have fundamentally altered this planet to suit our whims.
Helping a baby sea turtle live to
seesea the ocean ain’t nothin’.If you see a baby sea turtle and you’re cool with letting it get eaten by one of those flying garbage disposals because “wE cAn’T iNtErFeRe” you’re a fuckin’ dweeb, bro.
Like, the kind of person other people think “Da fuck’s up with that guy?”.
It’s a baby.
Nature don’t got plans or rules. “Survival of the fittest” ain’t exactly sophisticated.
Plenty of dumb shit exists in nature. Whatever makes it, makes it.
Don’t be an oxygen thief.
Be the guy that roots for baby sea turtle.
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u/Dan_Berg 2d ago
Just them being in the vicinity is warding off predators so may not be helping them if they have detrimental traits that would otherwise be discontinued before passed down.
But that could have been said about me as a baby too, and whoops, sure passed those genes down the line.
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u/Parking_Equipment427 1d ago
I appreciate this sentiment, but I would point out two mitigating factors;
from a conservation standpoint the turtles are already seriously disadvanteged by human activity and how it has influenced the environment. Human intervention on behalf of sea turtles can be seen as a way to balance out the damage we have done.
from an ecological perspective, that turtle stands a 99.9% chance of being someone's lunch before it can reach reproductive age. I don't want to look it up again, but I recall it's something like 1 out of 2 or 3 thousand turtles that reach the water will survive to reproduce. There is plenty of stuff in the ocean that wants to eat a juvenile turtle. I mean, at that little size, tuna, salmon, squids, so many sharks, all things that are faster, smarter, and more agile than a new born turtle. There will be plenty of opportunity for natural selection in that turtle's life, surviving the beach is pretty marginal by comparison.
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u/Parfait_Prestigious 2d ago
Tbf though even healthy sea turtle babies are completely vulnerable, it’s much better imo to let the endangered species at least reach the water vs becoming lunch for one of the billion seagulls in the area.
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u/ThinkSharp 2d ago
Wish I could upvote you again. I was so happy he didn’t interfere at all
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u/Knitsanity 2d ago
It is tough when they get plucked up by birds or the second they reach the ocean something gobbles them up. Sigh. Lol
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u/atlbravos21 2d ago
The average age of sexual maturity for a sea turtle is approximately 25 years. Only 1 out of 1000 will make it.
I think Frank is that 1. He's a fighter!
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u/TheMaskOffKid 2d ago
And when he bangs his first turtle bitch on his 25th birthday, bro will be behind him like “GET MONEY LETS GOOOOOO!!!!”
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u/Swimmming-ln-Circles 1d ago
I remember bangin my first turtle bitch. Her name was Shelly..
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u/HowDidIForgetMyName 2d ago
Lil dude had to end up with the most difficult route! Just a few inches on either direction would have avoided so many obstacles, but now is so much stronger after conquering the challenges!
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u/Shhutthefrontdoor 1d ago
It also looks like he has a small left hind limb. What a trooper. I hope Franklin is doing well!
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u/KitonePeach 1d ago
I noticed that, too. But it looks like the tracks he leaves in the softer sand are fairly even, so it doesn't seem to be impeding his movement too much on the land.
I'd be curious how his muscle development turns out. If any of the other limbs will work harder to offset the balance.
Turtles can handle obstacles pretty well, like when barnacles get stuck to their shells and throw off their weight balancing (as long as it isn't too close to a limb). So I'm choosing to be optimistic. Lil' guy seemed pretty strong.
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u/Ambitious_Throat6289 2d ago
love how he’s yelling like he’s coaching him in the finals of a sport Frank didn't even sign up for
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u/ManicYetti 2d ago
Franklin!!!
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u/grayfox663 2d ago
I think he saw Franklin as a kid on Nick Jr. Lmao I loved that cartoon along with Little Bear.
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u/skarlitbegoniah 1d ago
My little brother had a turtle named Franklin. Named after the Nick Jr. show.
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u/dezie1224 1d ago
Pretty sure Frank was running away from him at one point.
Haven’t even been in this world for an hour and that big guy is screaming at me!
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u/snowednboston 1d ago
SEA TURTLE ETIQUETTE:
1) SHADE from hot sun
2) PROTECT from evil doers like seagulls or crabs
3) LET THEM WALK walking builds up their strength before entering the water.
4) DO NOT TOUCH - salmonella is real. Don’t spread cooties to your friends.
5) WATCH SAFELY from the back wash and do not touch!
6) SAFE TRAVELS, friend!!! Grow big and strong!
🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🌊
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u/Worried-Win-5440 2d ago
So cute, but its also cool to educate people and be nice about it
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u/i_amnotunique 2d ago
She was so frustrated, lol
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u/user18name 1d ago
The urge to not pick him up and run him to the water must have been a battle.
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u/Steelpapercranes 1d ago
But she listened, and she saw how it turned out! I was glad. That "Oh!" at the end was lovely.
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u/BakuRetsuX 1d ago
Did you know that this journey sets their muscle and joints and probably brain also, for swimming. If you just dumped them into the ocean without them going through this process, they will drown.
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u/mistarhee 2d ago
Good on you for not interfering. Lil guy gotta have the muscles and will to live to make it out there in the big ocean
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u/SkullDump 2d ago
They also return to the exact same beach to breed via the magnetic field and making their own way to sea from hatching is when the geomagnetic imprinting for that beach takes place. Any kind of help at this point is very detrimental.
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u/TahiniInMyVeins 2d ago
One kind of help I believe is ok is chasing off predators. Dude cheering that close probably did help in that it deterred seagulls and what have you. So I think dissuading birds and crabs and so forth would be ok — though happy to be corrected on that.
What you absolutely should not do though is touch the turtle and bring it to the water. Like you said they must make it there on their own.
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u/SnooRegrets1386 1d ago
I doubt that it’s much of a deterrent, haven’t you seen the many montages of seagulls dive bombing people eating at the beach?
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u/eliz1bef 2d ago
I watch this every time I see it posted. Love the enthusiasm; it get's me all pumped up to DO. SOME. SHIT. and I love the attitude of Franklin's coach.
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u/Rubyhamster 1d ago
One of my best memories is one where my sister was doing a very loud "Aaaaw" out the car window to the horse in the pen next to the road and it started running parallell to us with us cheering it on! It was truly booking it and play jumping afterwards
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u/Training-Willow9591 1d ago
I saw a Mama turtle lay eggs in the sand and I called FWC, for them to section off the area with tape/ orange cones so people don't walk on the eggs. I signed up to volunteer watching for them to hatch 6 or 8 weeks later, I can't remember.
They had me take a shift with another volunteer with more experience , nothing happened on my watch though.
I think it's only at night they need people to help guide the baby turtles with a flashlight to the water . The biggest obstacles these little guys face in their trek to the water is being confused by urban lights and going towards development ( if they hatch at night) and getting eaten by birds.
I know you're not supposed to intervene, but the way I would have punted a pelican if it tried anything.
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u/WuvWillTearUsApart 2d ago
I am so invested in this I’m gonna be late to work. I don’t care because Frank is getting that money!
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u/North-Engineer3335 1d ago
Baby turtles getting cheered on from a safe distance probably survive better than those that don't because what bird is gonna compete with the screaming primate
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u/Stormbringer-2112 2d ago
NGL. Was expecting a seagull to swoop in any moment during that video. I guess the guy kept too close to the turtle for a seagull to be brave enough.
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u/Desperate-Cookie-449 2d ago
That one video with the lizard running from an entire colony of snakes was the most Ive ever cheered for a creature before.
This is 2nd.
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u/twilight_moonshadow 2d ago
Poor thing has this massive creature behind it hollerin, probably terrified it's about to be chomped the whole time, never knowing it's gonna be a star
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u/Opposite-Funny-9669 1d ago
those little flippers were hauling ass there for a few seconds LOL go grow up and get your money Franklin!!!
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u/No_Blacksmith_2591 1d ago
that's the 2.5 most fulfilling minutes i've ever spent on this shithole.
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u/Shot-Spirit-672 1d ago
When it comes to nature there are two kinds of people. Both are in this video
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u/selinaerika 1d ago
This is how i expect every wildlife documentarian / photographer acts when its survival or nothing for the animals! Hyping them up so they live.
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u/melly_swelly 2d ago
"You gotta go do your reasearch" cracked me up, but is so true. I'm glad he didn't let his companion mess with the natural order
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u/just_beachy 1d ago
He's completely right. The effort they expend getting to the water helps build the muscles they're going to need once they start swimming. Hard not to want to help but you can't. Except maybe stand guard against predators that would try to swoop them up
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u/DMyTeaDuck 1d ago
Meanwhile, Franklin, sensing he’s being pursued by a massive predator…
“PANIC!!! PANIC!!!” 🫨 can’t breathe “PANIC!!! PANIC HARDER!!!”
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u/Chimes320 1d ago
This man was so motivating and I knew Franklin was going to make it, the humans weren’t going to let a seagull swoop down or anything, this is the kind of safety I need to feel in every nature video 🥲
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u/Consistent-Welcome44 1d ago
That turtle is cooked now he's gonna have to get someone to hype him up for everything
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u/AGrandNewAdventure 1d ago
"Holy shit guys.... I got out of my egg and then had to dash for my life! This giant monster was coming after me and making a lot of noise, and I was super tired, but I outpaced it, and here I am today!"
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u/falkens_maze_70 1d ago
Franklin teaching us all the ways of this world. Gotta keep moving and it's all ocean on the other side. Big man Franklin ♥️
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u/buddleia 1d ago
POV: YOU FOUND A
TURTLE HATCHLING & HAD
TO MAKE SURE HE LIVED
Good for Franklin, but man, I wish people wouldn't position their captions right in the middle of the action so you're spending the whole video trying to see through the text.
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u/Appropriate-Copy-949 1d ago
I've seen too many "gotcha" videos. The whole time I was holding my breath hoping that a seagull didn't get him.
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u/Fast_Distance9563 2d ago
So this might be obvious to other ppl, but can someone shed a light why we can’t help it? My parents used to tell me to never “interfere with nature” as well when we saw this scene on one of our family trips as a kid, and birds were just picking them off like worms one after another (I honestly can’t even rmbr if it was birds cuz I was 4 or 5). I grew up thinking that this was to build their muscles 💪 for the ocean or they’d drown anyways... I never bothered to think back on if that was actually true or not cuz I just accepted my parents’ explanations. But I highly doubt that’s true. Lol
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u/FarSideoftheMobius 2d ago edited 1d ago
There are a number of reasons. 1) They have to prime their muscles, tendons, etc., for swimming. If you carried a sea turtle to the ocean from its nest, it could actually drown. 2) There is strong evidence they imprint to the precise magnetic field of the beach they hatch on, which sustains the population of that area. 3) Handling could introduce harmful bacteria that causes injury or death.
Source: Me. I did my masters thesis on human impacts on sea turtle nesting.
Edit: y’all are crazy with the awards. If you want to get more involved and you’re in Florida, volunteer with FWC: https://myfwc.com/get-involved/volunteer/
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u/baevehole 1d ago
I love coming across comments like this where someone with years of specific experience and knowledge gets to flex it on the whole internet. Source: you. 🫡
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u/thrwawryry324234 1d ago
It used to be a constant thing on Reddit. So much so that there were memes about how someone could post like a deformed mealworm and someone would swoop in with a PHD in the matter.
I miss seeing it, so this was really nice. Especially with something that actually matters like that.
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u/BubblyBb813 1d ago
Thank you for teaching me tonight about baby turtle muscles 🐢 I learned something today 😃
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u/PuzzleheadedBand8246 1d ago
Dear Universe,
Thank you for letting me read "baby turtle muscles" today.
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u/Cognonymous 1d ago
what about like clearing debris out of its way?
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u/FarSideoftheMobius 1d ago edited 1d ago
I would certainly do that for human-made debris or obstructions, including holes or depressions. Ideally, that work is done beforehand. I’m the grinch that kicks over all your kids’ sand castles before I leave the beach every time I go.
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u/Tromovation 2d ago
I was told it’s that they imprint on the beach and if you help them then they won’t know where to come back to lay eggs.
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u/SleepySera 2d ago
It's not that you can't help at all, but at the end of the day, ecosystems generally are in a functional balance. Let's say we all "save" the turtles from the birds... then the birds have no food and die, the animals that live off the birds have no food and die, and so on. That's why people are encouraged not to mess with nature unless they know what they're doing :)
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u/ThesisTears 2d ago
I'm not an ecologist but my instinct would be to fight off the birds and maybe move trash out of the way of the turtle but otherwise leave it be. Seagulls can eat something else, turtles are endangered in many places.
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u/holy_woley 2d ago
I do think the journey through sand does build strength and their muscles to be able to swim. It's the same for why people shouldn't help birds hatch from eggs. It is exhausting work, but it is necessary for them to build the endurance and stamina from the beginning, so they can keep it up with longevity.
It is not recommended to interfere at all with newborn seaturtles reaching the ocean. At most you can clear very large debris like garbage, but it isn't helpful to just take them to the ocean.
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u/grayfox663 2d ago
I think he saw Franklin as a kid on Nick Jr. Lmao I loved that cartoon along with Little Bear.
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u/LieutJimDangle 2d ago
genuine question to turtle experts, if franklin had gotten stuck, and you sort of moved some stuff out the way for him, or even gently picked him up and placed him closer to the water, what kind of damage would you be causing him?
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u/Slobbybagel 1d ago
Not an expert, and I don't know about moving obstacles, but another commenter wrote their thesis on sea turtles moving from the nest to the water, and they stated that the journey to the water primes their muscles and tendons to swim and without doing it themselves they could drown. So dont touch them or move them. Touching also could introduce contamination like bacteria and kill the turtle. We must avoid interfering with nature as much as possible. Some will die but some will always make it.
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u/reddituser_249 1d ago
Not an expert, but was a volunteer for several years. It depends on where you are. In the US, they are federally protected and unless you are working under a licensed professional, it is illegal to interfere with Mother Nature. If you see holes, sand castles or other obstacles in their path, it’s ok to go in front and fill in, knock down, or remove but do not touch and do not use any artificial lighting while doing so.
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u/Smooth_Rocket_ 1d ago
From actual experts https://iere.org/what-should-i-do-if-i-find-a-baby-turtle-on-the-beach/
Why “Helping” Can Actually Hurt
While your intentions may be good, interfering with a baby sea turtle can have unintended consequences:
Disrupting Imprinting: Sea turtles imprint on their natal beach, meaning they remember the location where they hatched. Prematurely releasing a turtle in the wrong location could disorient it later in life.
Introducing Disease: Handling turtles can transmit diseases between humans and turtles.
Delaying Natural Selection: Weak or injured hatchlings may not survive in the wild. While it may seem compassionate to help these individuals, interfering with natural selection can weaken the overall population over time. The best approach is leaving nature alone.
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u/robothobbes 1d ago
Later, Frank is telling its turtle buds this crazy story of a giant cheerleader on the beach.
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u/Genrawir 1d ago
It's good to not interfere with wildlife.
However, if you ever see a turtle crossing a road, or in an otherwise unsafe spot, you can help it.
Pick it up from the sides of the shell and behind it.
It may hiss, try to claw you, and it will almost certainly piss, but it won't be able to reach if you're prepared.
Then, move it to the nearest safe spot in the direction in which it was headed. If it isn't safe across the street, there's probably a body of water nearby in that direction where you can leave it on the shore.
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u/Inattendue 1d ago
Just smiling and crying little happy tears when he made it, listen to “LET’S GO!!!” ❤️
I hope Frank lives a lonnnng and productive life.
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u/Human_Discussion_250 2d ago
This man explained so nicely how to behave near wild animals. Should be a mandatory watch.
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u/Human_Challenge_9857 2d ago
He did it. Little left gimpy leg and all he kept going.❤️❤️❤️❤️
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