Turtle Attack!?
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Latest: The researcher was found dead. Speculation - Shallow Water Black Out.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...aug15,0,6620438.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...aug15,0,6620438.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
dive_lover88
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that's sad...my prayers will be with his family and friend.
I think they need to rewrite the manual on how to catch these turtles.
It appears that if they want to go down down is where you are going.
My guess is as follows: Looks like human error, he thought he could turn it around before he ran out of air. The extra exercision trying ran his body low on oxygen. Result blackout.
My thoughts are with the family and friends.
It appears that if they want to go down down is where you are going.
My guess is as follows: Looks like human error, he thought he could turn it around before he ran out of air. The extra exercision trying ran his body low on oxygen. Result blackout.
My thoughts are with the family and friends.
Ahh, in my previous post on the VW Beetle-sized turtle swimming towards me I forgot to mention why I was initially scared of it. It's right front flipper was missing a large section from what I would say was a shark bite. It had the halfmoon shape. And being there seeing that, I know it was attacked before and probably a bit more defensive than usual.
TerryTat
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You have got to be kidding!!!! Although I've heard a turtle can take out a shark!!!!???? Has anyone else heard of this?????
dumpsterDiver
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These turtles are very strong. Many years ago as a young man, I decided to once again show-off to a group of divers by pulling a large sleeping loggerhead out from under his ledge. Normally the turtles would try to swim away and I would ride it for 30 or 40 seconds without seeming to bother the turtle too much. They are strong enough to pull a scuba diver faster than you can sprint underwater. Using your fins and a lot of muscle you can normally steer them in any direction and use them as an underwater scooter. When released, the turtles would usually take off, sometimes head for the surface and other times head back toward the reef and sometimes just go back under the exact same ledge.
However, this particular turtle was much different. Upon being forcibly removed from his ledge, he immediately and deliberately swam so as to flip me over onto my back. Simultaneously he was extending his neck backward and to the side and was aggressively trying to bite me. A bite from these turtles would be a serious injury.
Luckily, I had one hand on the shell immediately behind the center of his neck and the other was back under his tail. He was unable to bite me, but had flipped me completely over on the bottom and the back of my head was being pounded into a bloody mess by contact with sharp coral and rocks. Basically we were both upside down with the turtle on top.
I was unable to let the turtle go because he was making every effort to flip over and bite me and the only defense I had was to retain my hold on his shell. I was struggling to regain control and get on top of him and to stop the abuse to my head. Finally after a very long minute or so, I was able to wrestle/swim the turtle into a position below me instead of on top of me. I then tried to throw him away from me into the water column as I backpedaled as fast as possible. When released, he stopped himself and took an unusual vertical position and was clearly very agitated. He spun slowly in a 360 degree turn and I think he was trying to determine which of the divers in our group to bite. We all backpedaled and sculled with our hands backwards very quickly and he took off.
That was my last experience with riding loggerheads with SCUBA gear, Clearly it is a dangerous and stupid activity. Also, I'm pretty sure it is illegal to harass sea turtles in this manner.
They are normally very docile and sometimes a little curious. I have heard reliable stories of them trying to mount scuba divers during the mating season, but this must be a very unusual occurrence because we commonly see 3 or 4 turtles on nearly every reef dive in the summer and I've never seen a problem with turtles unless you bother them.
However, this particular turtle was much different. Upon being forcibly removed from his ledge, he immediately and deliberately swam so as to flip me over onto my back. Simultaneously he was extending his neck backward and to the side and was aggressively trying to bite me. A bite from these turtles would be a serious injury.
Luckily, I had one hand on the shell immediately behind the center of his neck and the other was back under his tail. He was unable to bite me, but had flipped me completely over on the bottom and the back of my head was being pounded into a bloody mess by contact with sharp coral and rocks. Basically we were both upside down with the turtle on top.
I was unable to let the turtle go because he was making every effort to flip over and bite me and the only defense I had was to retain my hold on his shell. I was struggling to regain control and get on top of him and to stop the abuse to my head. Finally after a very long minute or so, I was able to wrestle/swim the turtle into a position below me instead of on top of me. I then tried to throw him away from me into the water column as I backpedaled as fast as possible. When released, he stopped himself and took an unusual vertical position and was clearly very agitated. He spun slowly in a 360 degree turn and I think he was trying to determine which of the divers in our group to bite. We all backpedaled and sculled with our hands backwards very quickly and he took off.
That was my last experience with riding loggerheads with SCUBA gear, Clearly it is a dangerous and stupid activity. Also, I'm pretty sure it is illegal to harass sea turtles in this manner.
They are normally very docile and sometimes a little curious. I have heard reliable stories of them trying to mount scuba divers during the mating season, but this must be a very unusual occurrence because we commonly see 3 or 4 turtles on nearly every reef dive in the summer and I've never seen a problem with turtles unless you bother them.
TerryTat
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That Would Scare The !@#?? Out Of Me... If You Had Never Peed In Your Wetsuit Before... I'm Sure You Did Then!!
I Guess Based On Your Story, Turtles Could Take Out A Shark.
Thanks For Sharing Your Story. Although I Know It Must Of Been Traumatic For You Then, It Was Fascinating To Read About.
Thanks For Sharing..
T
I Guess Based On Your Story, Turtles Could Take Out A Shark.
Thanks For Sharing Your Story. Although I Know It Must Of Been Traumatic For You Then, It Was Fascinating To Read About.
Thanks For Sharing..
T
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I've had to deal with both shark and crocodile in the water and your story tops any of mine and gives me chills. Thanks for sharing it.
Ed Jackson1
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It does sound like shallow water blackout. The turtle being involved was probably not related except that the diver was performing a task at depth.
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