12 Aug / Sea Turtles: Diving with the Ocean’s Ancient Mariners
The nickname Ancient Mariner is a fitting name for sea turtles, as the ones we see today are surviving relics from our ocean’s prehistoric past.
Remarkably adapted to an almost complete aquatic existence, these marine reptiles actually emerged from a marsh-dwelling ancestor some 150 million years ago. To survive as they have in an open ocean full of apex predators, their bodies had to evolve in ways that allowed them to evade pursuers. Physical changes included a substantial increase in the shape and size of fore flippers to give them greater speed, an increase in body mass to make them less desirable as prey, as well as greater diving capabilities over their fresh water kin, both for evasion from predators and to enhance their ability to find food. And like all mariners who are born on land go to sea, the must return now and again to the place of their birth for the next generation to begin.
Diver with a young Atlantic Green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle.
Encounters with sea turtles are a highlight to any dive. Seeing one move underwater using their elongated, paddle-like fore flippers with strong graceful and powerful strokes is somewhat like watching a bird in flight.
Almost all tropical regions of the world provide will provide an opportunity to meet one to even two of the ocean’s seven species of sea turtles at one time. But, when you review the list of where you might find 3 to 5 at the same time, well that list will become surprisingly short with Florida’s Palm Beach Coast at the top, with the northern Bahamas coming in a close second.
The Palm Beach County coast is one of the few places in the world where divers can actually encounter all five species of sea turtles found in the Atlantic.
The Atlantic Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) Sea Turtle is one of the two most common species you are likely meet on the reef in Palm Beach County, Florida.
While Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) are by far the most prevalent, there is the Atlantic Green (Chelonia mydas) and giant Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) who both make their annual visits here for the purpose of mating laying their eggs on the beach. And then there is our fifth, perhaps the Atlantic’s rarest species, the Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii). Yes they are found here too.
A giant Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtle with it entourage of remoras and cobia cruises over the reef.
No matter the species, these ancient mariners represent something very special to us in that they are the Palm Beaches first and foremost esteemed darlings of the reefs.
So the question why here?
The topography both along the shore and underwater off this portion the Florida coast is as close to sea turtle heaven as most places could get. The Gulf Stream, with its river of warm, tropical water, sweeps close to shore, bringing warmer water in up the surf line during even the coldest times of the year, creating a comfortable environment for both resident and transient species of these marine reptiles. In addition to a coastline with miles upon miles of suitable to which they can lay their eggs during spring and summer months, there are the reefs, which are actually made up of the remnants of ancient coral beds and limestone bedrock. Deeply undercut, they create the kind of habitat that sea turtles seem to favor, as they provide shelter from surge and predators while the turtles sleep.
Resident Palm Beach divers are well accustomed to seeing turtles on a regular basis. On any given dive, it’s quite common to run into two or three Hawksbills or to find a large Loggerhead or two roaming the reefs or snoozing beneath a ledge or in the middle of a patch of soft corals.
Anything less would be considered a slow day, and I’ve had the good fortune of seeing not only Hawksbill and Loggerheads but also a Green or two all on the same dive. And if you’re really lucking, encounters can include a Kemp’s Ridley or the giant of the turtle clan, the Atlantic Leatherback.
While any time of year is good for seeing turtles on your dives off the Palm Beach Coast, the best opportunities occur in the months following the first day of spring. This is because the Palm Beach Florida area happens to be a major breeding and nesting ground for three of the Atlantic Ocean’s five species – Green, Loggerhead and Leatherback. And when nesting season reaches its peak, between the months of May and July, Florida’s Palm Beach coast plays host to more sea turtles per acre than anywhere in the Southeastern U.S. or Caribbean.
The Perilous Start
For sea turtles, the road to maturity is a rough and perilous one.
From the time the eggs are deposited in the sand, the incubation period for the young turtle is two months. When the babies hatch and dig themselves out of the sand, it’s a mad dash to exit the beach and get far out to sea as possible.
Under the cover of darkness of the midnight hour, a loggerhead hatchling makes it getaway to open ocean.
The size of a biscuit, hatchings are easy prey to everything from land crabs on the beach, sea birds in the air and virtually everything that swims. They’re only defense for survival is pretty much a numbers game; them more hatchlings that make to sea, the greater the likelihood a few will survive. It is estimated that only one out of every hundred hatchlings will make it to maturity.
Sea Turtle Photo Etiquette
There is a lot to be said about how we behave in the water, especially around marine animals that can easily feel threatened. Sea turtles may be large, but they are also shy, reclusive and easily intimidated. That said, your best photo opportunities will only come by being both patient and courteous – because we know how many of us like to get Selfies.
An underwater photography gets in a few shots with a corporative full adult size Loggerhead sea turtle by keeping his movements slow and deliberate.
The key to approaching sea turtles is to make your movements slow and deliberate. Oftentimes turtles may be inquisitive and will come close for a better look. Above all, don’t swim directly at them. That will make them feel threatened and will cause them to bolt in an instant. When a sea turtle really wants to get somewhere, they are anything but slow. Practicing a little patience will always get you better results. And above all – Don’t Touch or Chase!
RELEVANT LINKS:
Loggerhead Marinelife Center – http://www.marinelife.org/
The Comprehensive Florida hawksbill Research and Conservation Program – www.floridahawksbills.com
Caribbean Conservation Corporation – http://www.cccturtle.org/satelliteturtles.php
NOAA Fisheries listing of Marine Turtle Species Under NMFS Jurisdiction – www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/esa/turtles.htm
Cretaceous Period – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Cretaceous
Clutches – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutch_(eggs)