Swimming with turtles

[caymandiver]

Anyone got any tips on swimming with turtles?

We have no dolphins here in Cayman( once is a blue moon maybe) but have hundreds of turtles! You see them 1 out of every 3 or 4 dives.

Do turtles play "pass the kelp" like dolphins?

Can you play and swim with them like dolphins?

I usally scare them and they swim away. I've managed to sneek up on one once and he was cool with me for about 4 seconds. Soon as I thought, "oh, I need air" I think he caught on that I was a human and went his way.

-Thanks

Christian

 

[M-2]

Hey Christian. Sea turtles aren't quite at the intelligence level of dolphins. They have very small brains (the brain of a loggerhead is smaller than a walnut) and aren't social animals. Actually I worked in Cayman in '96 and if I remember correctly there is a very stiff fine and maybe even jail time for harrassing turtles. Grabbing them can severely stress them out. Sorry the news isn't more promising.

Cheers,

Mike