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Project Noah Nature School
Eretmochelys imbricata
Also known as Atlantic Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Tropical Sea Turtle, Tortoiseshell Turtle, Carey Sea Turtle. They feed on invertebrates, such as comb jellies, jellyfish and sponges, and grow to a length of about 1m. The Hawksbill turtle is the only member of its genus, and is a critically endangered species.
Found in shallow lagoons and coral reefs, as well as in the open sea, at depths of 0 to 25m. Found worldwide, but especially in tropical and sub-tropical waters.
I spotted this marine turtle at 60 feet. I was busy trying to photograph some triggerfish when he suddenly appeared to my right! I apologize for the grainy photos -- I was about 20 feet away from the turtle in turbid water, with no external strobe, so I had to edit the pictures a bit to bring out the details. He was huge! Almost a meter long, I'd say.
Spotted on Oct 27, 2011
Submitted on Feb 2, 2012
4 Comments
I wonder how old that turtle is now...
I think so, too, for the shell of that species has normally not that colour. That makes it even more special.
@HansNew - Yes, I think so. I've seen another turtle up close before and its shell was also covered in algae.
Is that green shell because of algae on it?