Every summer, my family and I go to Vero Beach, Florida. There, we meet up with my dad’s side of the family. While each trip has its fair share of fun, our trip in 2009 was special. My grandparents, cousins, and my family had informed us of a turtle hatching that would happen on the shore later that day. We awaited the night with excitement. The night of the hatching we went out in the dark of the night. I remember the light of the moon pouring out over top of us. The sand was wet beneath my feet and the waves were rushing up onto the shore, tickling my toes. The ocean swirled beside us as waves glimmered in the night. The area of the turtle eggs was marked and other families followed behind us, eager to see the hatching. We waited a while, the air thick with anticipation. Finally, we heard a quiet noise and watched as the first baby turtle broke free from its shell. Others followed, about fifty to a hundred of them crawling towards the ocean, some flopping over onto their backs. They dove right into the water when they reached the edge, unafraid. I smiled, amazed at what I was witnessing. I had never seen anything like this before and I was so happy for all the baby turtles. My dad gave me a hug as the last baby turtle made it into the ocean. We stayed there a while, dipping our toes in the ocean and gazing at the stars shining above. We may go to Vero every year, but this was a night to remember. Turtles mainly hatch in the summer, so if you’re ever at the beach then, consider watching them hatch- it was an amazing experience, one that I will never forget.