Friendly sea turtle greets and swims with delighted scuba diver

Scuba diving is a sport that allows the adventurous to slip beneath the waves, descending 100 feet or more to explore the reefs and the coral. It is a world of indescribable beauty and wonder. The animals are strange and beautiful, and every dive is different. For those who have the nerve to trust their equipment and breathe compressed air from tanks on their backs, the sights are well worth it. Observing animals in their natural environment is a wonderful experience, but to get a close look or interact with an animal on its own terms is simply magical.

Kristy is a seasoned diver who has explored the depths in several different oceans. She has dived in Mexico, Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, Galapagos Islands, and here, in Papua New Guinea. She has been up close with whale sharks, turtles, fish of all kinds, stingrays, and countless other sea creatures. But her favourite is the hawksbill sea turtle. Critically endangered, these turtles have been hunted to near extinction for their beautiful shells. Hunting them now is illegal, and their numbers have started to rebound. They are still a rare sight on the reefs and divers are always happy to see one.

Imagine Kristy’s delight when a large hawksbill sea turtle came gliding down from above and swam right up to look in her eyes. It seemed as curious about her as she was about it. It calmly swam beside her as it looked for sponges to eat. Munching away happily, it paused and swam up to her as if to check on her every few minutes. Kristy and the turtle swam together for almost half an hour before she was low enough on air that she needed to say goodbye. She returned to the surface with photos, videos, and memories that will last a lifetime.