Friday, Nov. 6, 2026

Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter incorrectly identified Spencer Holtom as Spencer Holtmon.

Hello, and happy Friday! I’m Justin Taylor, the visual journalist at The Current. Thanks for checking out another installment of Coastal Lens.

This month, we’re heading out on the water! I’ll share a look at Georgia’s record-breaking sea turtle nesting season, a night spent with researchers on Wassaw Island and a trip aboard the R/V Sea Dawg to discover what lives beneath the surface of our tidal rivers.

I’ll also share some of my favorite photos from the past several weeks, including a few that didn’t make it into published stories. And, as always, I’ve rounded up a handful of visually interesting events happening around the coast.

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VISUAL STORIES FROM THE COAST

A record-breaking year for Georgia’s sea turtles

This year, loggerhead sea turtles laid a record 4,292 nests along Georgia’s coast. To tell this story, The Current’s Mary Landers and I spent countless hours searching beaches for nesting turtles and their hatchlings, following the people who work to protect them and documenting what goes into keeping these animals around for future generations.

Kris Williams Carroll, director of the Caretta Research Project, holds three loggerhead hatchlings found during the excavation of a nest on Wassaw Island on July 18, 2026. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
Volunteer Gina McCullough watches as two loggerhead hatchlings race toward the surf after emerging from their nest on Wassaw Island on July 18, 2026. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY

A night on Wassaw Island

As part of our sea turtle coverage, we spent a night with the Caretta Research Project on Wassaw Island, where researchers and volunteers patrol the beaches after dark, searching for nesting loggerheads.

Here’s a look at what a night on the island looks like.

Biologist Spencer Haltom uses a headlamp to inspect nonviable loggerhead sea turtle eggs found during a nest excavation on Wassaw Island on July 18, 2026. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY

Trawl-O-Ween: What’s living down there?

The day before Halloween, I joined a group of passengers aboard the University of Georgia’s 43-foot research vessel, the R/V Sea Dawg, for a hands-on look at the marine life living in Georgia’s tidal rivers.

Using a 26-foot trawl net, the crew collected fish, shrimp and other marine life from the Wilmington River, giving passengers a chance to see some of the creatures that call our coastal waters home.

Passengers aboard the Sea Dawg count and record marine life caught in the vessel’s trawl net on Oct. 30, 2026. Fish and shrimp from the catch are used to feed animals at the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY

FAVORITE PHOTOS

A look back at a few of my favorite frames from the past several weeks.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms speaks to supporters during a campaign event at Kim’s Cafe in Savannah, on Oct. 30, 2026. Bottoms faces Republican Rick Jackson in the Nov. 3 general election. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
GADNR senior wildlife biologist Tim Keyes and Fletcher Smith inspect trash left at an illegal campsite on Little Tybee Island on Oct. 16, 2026. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson poses for a photo with a supporters dog during a campaign event in Richmond Hill on Oct. 28, 2026. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America

VIEWFINDER

Each month, I take hundreds of photos for The Current. Only a fraction make it into published stories.

Sometimes it comes down to space. Other times, a photo simply doesn’t fit the story as well as the other images do.

Viewfinder is where some of those moments live.

Supporters of Republican Jim Kingston watch election results as Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms takes the lead over Republican Rick Jackson in Georgia’s gubernatorial race during an election night watch party in Savannah on Nov. 3, 2026. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
A family watches a sea turtle nest on Tybee Island on Aug. 28, 2026. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
Caretakers and SOAR club members lift a parachute during an exercise to build motor skills. In Brunswick on Oct. 15, 2026. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America

COMMUNITY FOCUS

Here are a few upcoming events celebrating photography, art, film and other forms of visual creativity.

🪁 Tybee Island Kite Festival: Watch colorful kites fill the sky over Tybee Island’s North Beach during this family-friendly fundraiser supporting Parkinson’s disease research, from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. Registration begins at 11 a.m. More details here.

🎸 Savannah Porchfest: Stroll through Savannah’s Baldwin Park neighborhood as front porches become stages for local musicians during this free community music festival, from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. The event will feature a closing performance by the Randall Bramblett Band. More details here.

🇺🇸 Savannah Veterans Day Parade: Honor military veterans during Savannah’s 80th annual Veterans Day Parade, featuring more than 100 marching units, including veterans, active-duty military personnel and community organizations, beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Abercorn and Gwinnett streets. A special observance is scheduled for 11:11 a.m. More details here.

🐟 Kingsland Catfish Festival: Celebrate local food and small-town traditions during the 43rd annual Kingsland Catfish Festival, featuring catfish dinners, live entertainment, antiques, children’s activities and more than 200 arts and crafts vendors, on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20-21, in historic downtown Kingsland. More details here.

🚤 Savannah Lighted Boat Parade: Watch more than 30 brightly decorated boats illuminate the Savannah River during the 25th annual Savannah Lighted Boat Parade, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28. The boats will travel between Eastern Wharf and the Talmadge Bridge, passing River Street and Plant Riverside District twice. More details here.

☕ Savannah Photo Club Walk: Grab a camera and a coffee for the Savannah Photo Club’s monthly photo walk on Sunday morning, Nov. 15. The meeting location will be posted on the club’s Instagram.

If you’ve scrolled this far, thanks again for sticking with me, and I’ll see you next month!


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Justin Taylor is a visual journalist based in Savannah. He is a Catchlight Local/Report for America Corps member. His versatile style blends elements of fine art, photojournalism, and drone photography. A...