Gratuitous dive blogging
By Kim Campbell Thornton
June 25, 2008
We have seen turtles mating. Twice. That is all.
Well, okay, a few more details. Turtles (tut’ls in local parlance) mate on the surface of the water. Given the wave action we’ve been seeing, that must be akin to having sex on a roller coaster. Lots of fin flailing goes on. Mating season lasts from April through July.
Our friend Wayne spotted them as we were riding on the bow of Ocean Frontiers‘ Nauticat, headed for our second dive of the day. George, our captain, stopped the boat so we could get a better look–at a respectful distance, of course. We then moved on to the dive site, Kathleen’s Reef, which for the day was renamed Turtle Love Nest.
During that dive, we saw a green sea turtle, but he didn’t appear to be basking in the afterglow. Hard to tell with turtles. They always wear something of a self-satisfied expression. Based on his size, though, we suspect that he’s not yet old enough for the mating game. Other sightings of note include a porcupine fish, a file fish, and a couple of trunk fish. Topside, we’ve seen lots of chickens. A trip to the Botanic Garden to see the blue iguanas is on tap for later this week.
We saw the second pairing this morning. George says he’s seen five or six this season. Maybe the Nauticat should be renamed the Love Boat.
Sigh, I have never had the great good fortune to dive in tropical seas and experience sea turtles mating or brightly colored fish, or any of that! Double sigh. I have however explored tidal pools, ledges that at only bear at extreme low tides and been enthralled at what I have found, and happened upon harbor seals in the act of mating, which does make them look somewhat like a small sea monster!
Comment by Ms Anne Thrope — June 25, 2008 @ 9:21 pm
Tidal pools are cool, too. Love the description of harbor seals mating.
Comment by Kim Thornton — June 26, 2008 @ 6:15 pm