It happens to everyone who participates in a stranding network: you respond to a call and when you arrive you find that it is not quite what you expect. In my case, I found not a sea turtle but a diamondback terrapin. Although strictly speaking this species is not considered "marine", the diamondback terrapin nevertheless shares several characteristics with true marine turtles. The diamondback terrapin lives in brackish and salt water habitats, it must emerge from the water to lay its eggs, the sex of the hatchlings is influenced by incubation temperatures, and in the past this species was widely harvested for human consumption. Diamondback terrapins have some of the coolest color patterns on their shells. Although I always enjoy going to that area of Bogue Sound where this turtle was, it also turns out that there are people working on terrapins in the area, so I could pass along the information and tell myself that it was worth the trip. I remember that last year Wendy reponded to a stranding call and found an algae-covered dead yellow bellied slider on the beach. She made the trip worthwhile by taking it back to the big freezer in anticipation of a future necropsy. I have also heard the story of someone further south being called out for a turtle found on the beach, only to find a coconut. Although she couldn't find justification for the trip, it does make a funny story.