Ummm, where do I begin with how best to explain turtling. This Nantucket pastime kept my children (and other children on the island) entertained for hours this summer. What you want to do is take raw chicken (bone-in thighs work best) and tie the chicken with some heavy-duty string in order to “fish” for turtles off the dock. Once a turtle latches on, you watch in awe as your small child hoists the turtle up onto the dock where the turtle quickly scampers around on the dock and dives off making a big splash back into the water. The funny part about this is that in many cases, these turtles are easily 50 pounds, so the potential for your small child to be pulled into the water by the turtle is far greater than the chances of your small child being able to get this massive animal onto the dock. And, even more amusing, is that the few times that my family went turtling this summer, it is always the parents (or grandparents) that seem to get into the sport even more so than the kids. I watched as my father nearly edged my six-year old off the dock to get a better angle for his turtles. It’s all in good fun and for all you animal lovers out there who are tisk-tisking me for some sort of animal cruelty, let me tell you that one of the mornings we were there an actual herpetologist (yes, someone who studies turtles for a LIVING) was also on the dock amazed by these turtles, with his string in hand, hoping to catch the big one.
