THE LOGGERHEAD: Survivor from the Sea

The giant loggerhead, ""a hardy, adaptable turtle of amiable disposition,"" is treated with dignity and affection in this unusual photo-essay. Having survived virtually unchanged for 150,000,000 years, the loggerhead is now threatened by shorefront development and by the exploding population of nest-raiding raccoons. After paying tribute to the turtle's phenomenal endurance Scott follows the activities of one conservation-minded group, known as the Turtle Boys of Jupiter Island, which guards loggerhead nests from predators and tags the adult animals whose life at sea is still largely unknown. Sweet's photos of the processes of nest making, hatching, and the young turtle's escape from their protected home in the sand are complemented by his fine portraits of the mother loggerhead's majestic ugliness.