08/01/2026
Sometimes, while exploring unfamiliar stretches of coastline in search of new metal-detecting hotspots, you encounter treasures that have nothing to do with silver or gold.
During this trip, we came across sea turtle tracks leading to their nesting areas and back toward the Gulf. Farther down the beach, we discovered a stranded pygmy s***m whale.
The whale showed several injuries, including what appeared to be a puncture wound and a larger U-shaped injury believed to have been caused by a shark attack.
Thankfully, dedicated people such as the team from CONIBIO Global A.C. are out there monitoring the coastline, studying these animals, and responding when marine wildlife becomes stranded.
Experiences like this remind us that every trip into nature can reveal something unexpected—and that protecting wildlife requires knowledgeable people who are willing to show up and do the difficult work.
Thank you to the members of CONIBIO Global A.C. for explaining what we had found and for everything they do to protect the wildlife of the Gulf Coast. ,
Hanging out with GOM Diggers is always a blast.:
Saul Villarreal, Rene A Capistran, Randy Ledbetter
GOM Digger
