Minding its own business

by Darren

Late one afternoon I came across this huge turtle. And I mean HUGE. Bigger than me, and I’m not just talking about the depth of the shell!

It was just me and one of the local instructors and we spent a good few minutes with it. Once it had got used to our presence I moved around to the head to take some close ups, although I actually swam away from the turtle to get there so I was coming back in from a distance rather than trying to swim around it. We’re in their home, if these creatures are generous enough to welcome us, the least we can do is be respectful….

I didn’t have long (this is the only image of it eating that I have). Some Japanese tourists came off a boat a few metres away and were all over the poor thing. Stamping their fins, getting ridiculously close, bashing the hell out of it (and me – in the end I gave a sharp elbow to one who was on top of me). Guess what, the turtle swam away – I don’t blame it.