The Driftwood Sea Turtle...

The Driftwood Sea Turtle

©2026 Bobbie De Leon

Write Into Wings

 I was walking along the beach several years ago when I saw a piece of driftwood. It caught my eye because it so much resembled a large sea turtle; at least it did to me. I wondered if the sea turtle was still in there? Could he see and hear? Did he feel anything? Did he come to life at certain times? Had he been alive before? Was he an echo of a life from ages ago? I had so many questions, as this is how my mind always works. But this time, some of them were answered, just not exactly the way I expected them to be. I snapped a picture of the driftwood sea turtle that day. I wanted to always remember him because of how he captivated me. I did not know the story that was about to unfold for me. Or how the driftwood sea turtle would change my life and my mindset. I was glad later that I had taken that quick picture, so I would never forget the driftwood sea turtle's story.

Then I lost the picture for eight years. Today, almost as if by magic, it reappeared. I found I had not forgotten his story. The second I saw the photograph, it all came back to me, like a film playing in my mind, scene by scene, detail by detail. All the shapes, colors, and sounds are still crystal clear. Perhaps the driftwood sea turtle did not wish his story to be known until this moment. Or perhaps I didn't need to remember his story myself until now. Whatever the case may be, I will use this time to share my experience with the driftwood sea turtle.

If you saw him on the beach, you would never know he was real. He looks just like a normal piece of shaped driftwood. But at night, when the beach is clear, he comes to life in the moonlight and swims in the sea. How do I know this you are probably asking? I know because I have seen it with my own eyes. I was staying on the Oregon coast one week in the summer. I've always found the ocean so majestic and awe invoking. It is equal parts peaceful and terrifying. It is also the one place my mind is completely calm and quiet. I had enjoyed walking along the beach during the day and sitting on random pieces of driftwood. The cool wind was blowing in my face, in contrast to the warm sun on the rest of my skin.

   I stopped walking when I noticed this remarkable and fairly large piece of driftwood. But this was not like any driftwood I had seen before. It looked like a giant sea turtle. I took a quick picture of it. It felt oddly like an old friend, even though I could not recall ever having seen it there before. I went back to walking, but as the hours passed, I often looked up to see if the driftwood sea turtle was still there. Each time it was, but each time it felt more familiar, more alive somehow.

The group I was with was preparing a campfire, and I decided I would stay on the beach until night. There is something so special about the ocean in the moonlight, and I wanted to experience it for myself. Although I do admit to being intimidated by the sound of crashing ocean waves, I could not entirely see. That intimidation was not enough to deter me on my mission.

I was sitting on a blanket in the sand; the wind blowing hard through my hair. A feeling I had come to both enjoy and appreciate. The force of the wind always adds a feeling of freedom to the already stress-relieving experience. While I was watching the shoreline, the moon brightened. It was huge in the sky that night, which was remarkably clear. Draping the coast in decorative shades of purple and periwinkle. It was shining so brightly I could see the waves and the water, immediately removing an element of fear. Then I saw something I was not expecting to see: the driftwood sea turtle had come to life.

I watched as he moved in the moonlight, slow and beautiful, towards the water. And then he swam out into the ocean. I watched him as long as I possibly could. Listened for any sounds he might make. I watched him until he disappeared into the sea. I sat wrapped in my blanket on the sand, full of wonder, peace, and complete bliss. I watched the moonlight on the water, listened to the sound of the waves and the crackle of the campfire to my left. I was mesmerized. I hoped this feeling would last forever.

 I did not expect that I would ever see the driftwood sea turtle again. I was not sure what his purpose had been. It was now getting late, and I had stayed on the beach as long as I legally could. Since everyone else was going to bed, I walked with my group back to the dorms and went to sleep.

I awoke in the morning just as the sun was shining through the window. I stepped outside, stretched and took the deepest breath I could. It was chilly, and I could hear the distant sound of the ocean. My mind immediately went back to the driftwood sea turtle. I wondered what adventures he was up to. I quickly changed, joined everyone for breakfast, and then followed the slender path back down to the sandy beach. You cannot imagine my surprise when there, in plain view was the driftwood sea turtle, back in his resting place on the sand. How very odd, I thought. I know I was fully awake, and in my right mind, when I had witnessed him come to life the night before. As well as when I had watched him swim by moonlight into the ocean and disappear. And yet here he was, just as I had first found him, as if he had never moved at all.

Just then, I felt an unexpected smile spread across my face. I had suddenly realized the driftwood sea turtle's purpose. He, for one night, had made me forget all the hard things in my life. All the stress the earlier day had brought, and all the difficulty I had ahead of me. For that one night, and if I'm honest even now, I had believed in the impossible. I had witnessed a miracle, magic, a secret. I had watched ocean waves in the moonlight. I had been unafraid of the dark or the unseen. I remembered what wonder and imagination felt like. I had witnessed a sea turtle-shaped piece of driftwood become real, and swim into the vast expanse of the deep ocean. What a gift that driftwood sea turtle had been to me.

I often wonder... if I were to return now to the place I found him, would he be there? Perhaps waiting for the next person to help. Or would he, as I imagine, be off helping someone else. Possibly near some other part of the ocean or the world. Or in whatever form they need him to be.

When I say my prayers tonight, I will remember to thank God for driftwood, for sea turtles, and for always allowing this supposed grown up, to stay just a little bit childlike.