How many ways can a turtle sleep?

[blesi varney]

Thanks you guys.

Archman - You can really get close to the turtles at the St Anthony wreck without disturbing them. Often times, you'd be intently watching the school of milletseed butterfly fish, (there's plenty of these guys there), when all of a sudden you'd feel this bump on your head or shoulder, and it'd be a turtle wanting to take the spot where you're at. So, you better move.

 

[kidspot]

Blesi - I love that first turtle pic, really funny pose.

Archman - They are so used to people around here often you can get up 2 or 3 inches from their "nose" and they won't even move. As Blesi said they'll bump you. I've had them bump into my mask gently as they swim over to visit. I've also seen them "nuzzle" divers legs on a couple of ocassions. Just like a cat that rubs up against you. Really a wonderful experience to see them up close like this (no it's not harassment... actually sometimes it's "diver" harrassment lol)

I'm curious about Turtle behavior, can anyone comment/validate/correct the following things that I've heard.

1) Females travel to the northern islands back to the beach they were hatched on annually to lay eggs.

2) A turtle can remain actively submerged for an average of 20 minutes. Sleeping up to 4 hrs. and Hibernating under the sand up to 3 months.

3) Lifespan - Maturity reached at approximate 25 years, total lifespan normally 40-50 years.

4) Feeding: Juvenilles are omnivores while adults are herbivores.

Aloha, Tim

P.S. Thank you Blesi for the new topic - lol ... turtles are great

 

[Andi327]

LOVE the turtle pics.....sooo cute! Thanks for sharing.

 

[archman]

4) Feeding: Juvenilles are omnivores while adults are herbivores.

From past experience rehabilitating sick green turtles, I can assert that you can get any turtle, at any age, to EAT SHRIMP.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Blesi does that 3 legged turtle still hang out at the St. Anthony?

 

[DiveMaven]

That's one of the really cool things about diving in Hawaii, the turtles are used to divers and don't go away when you're near them. We had a very close encounter with a Hawksbill turtle when we were on Maui last December with the turtle grazing and moving to within a foot or two of us. Contrast that to our turtle encounters in the Bahamas this summer where they couldn't put enough distance between us fast enough.

And the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles are even worse than the Hawksbills for not wanting to move too!

 

[back2deepblue]

Absolutely fabulous shots……talk about Kodak moments. Good job Blesi. I wonder what kind of camera you use?
Thanks for sharing.

 

[MeiLing]

That's one of the really cool things about diving in Hawaii, the turtles are used to divers and don't go away when you're near them. We had a very close encounter with a Hawksbill turtle when we were on Maui last December with the turtle grazing and moving to within a foot or two of us. Contrast that to our turtle encounters in the Bahamas this summer where they couldn't put enough distance between us fast enough.

And the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles are even worse than the Hawksbills for not wanting to move too!

All well and good while they're still a protected species! If they move off the endangered list, there's going to be a lot of locals picking them off left and right. And there was some rumbling a year or ago of removing them off the list.

Fortunately, the turtle here is experiencing a kind of iconic love that, I think, has helped keep the pressure on to keep them protected.

Great shots, Blesi! Thank you for sharing!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

It's fun to follow Blesi around even when she brings her camera. She has a knack for finding the oddest things down there. I should probably take this moment to mention that Brad is really really good too. If I don't mention that I'm likely to get slapped in the head next time we meet up, so, Brad is really really really good too

 

[blesi varney]

Blesi does that 3 legged turtle still hang out at the St. Anthony?

We haven't seen Lefty in a long time.