question about Turtle:

[bbdqsony]

Not sure if this is right place to post but here it is anyways...


Hello I went dive last week and loved seeing these green turtle swimming around.. I saw 2 turtle that seem to be something wrong.. One had HUGE ball just outside of its shell and right leg, size as baseball... another one had size as gold ball just above its right eye? What is it??? It actually broke my heart! Is there anything we can do?

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

I've seen something about these tumors before, here's a link to an explanation. I have yet to see this myself on a turtle but it's been documented for a very long time.

The Turtle Hospital

 

[walke121]

Fibropapilloma would be the cause. We aren't really sure what the cause is right now. Some think that an increase in pollution in the oceans could be a cause but I won't speculate what the cause is. I do know that it is a spreading problem. The growths are not just on the outside of the body but inside the shell also. Green turtles are the most affected right now but a growing population of loggerhead and hawksbill turtles are showing up with these tumors. Feel free to ask me any more questions you might have.

 

[maged_mmh]

Fibropapilloma Tumors

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

A Scuba Board search for turtle tumors will get you lots to read.