And I'd do it again.

While paddling down the river, I spotted something massive on the bank. The smell hit before I even reached it. What I found was a giant snapping turtle carcass — shell intact, legs still attached.

Q: Tonca, an American alligator snapping turtle, was the unofficial mascot of the Museum of Science & History in Jacksonville. He made a memorable impression on many who saw him through the years.

The ocean can be an extremely dangerous place, even for an animal that migrates through and rides its currents for decades.