A Sea Turtle picture a day #39

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle Picture A Day. The San Diego trip is coming to a close.We are all loaded up and at the airport waiting on our flight. All in all the trip was a great success. The molding went perfect. So it is back to Vancouver to start the next phase of the project.
Today's picture is of a Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas) that was foraging in the tide pools off the coast of the Big Island.
This picture was taken with a 70-200 mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #38

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today's picture is of one of the fiberglass molds that we made for the tests in the wind tunnel. We are very happy with the molds. They were very time consuming to make but when we join the two pieces together it will make them easier to piece together.
Ttodd Jones the project leader is holding the mold.
This picture was taken with a 28-200 mm lens
See you tomorrow.

A Sea Turtle picture a day #37

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day.We are just wrapping up here in San Diego and should have some really great pictures.I am really looking forward to getting these molds back to Vancouver and into the wind tunnel.Todays picture is of a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) that is swimming along the reef in Hawaii.
This picture was taken with a 20mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #36

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today I am still in San Diego and work on the turtle molds is progressing very well. This picture is of the 2 researchers that I am working with Dr Jeff Seminoff of NOAA and soon to be DR TTodd Jones of UBC. here they are taking the turtle out of the plaster of paris mold. These molds we made are we part and today we are going to apply fiberglass to them so that we will be able to make replicas of the turtles for the study.
This picture was taken with a 28-200 mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #35

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today I am still in San Diego and just starting to really get into making the molds of the turtles. One of the Turtles that we are working with is an Olive Ridley sea turtle.It was caught in a long line and drowned.
No explanation is needed for this photo.
This picture was taken with a 60 mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #34

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today's Picture is of 3 turtles that we are working with here in San Diego.I am going to be making fiberglass molds of these turtles. Then the fiberglass turtles will be put in a wind tunnel to be measured with various things attached to their shells,Satellite transmitters critter cams time depth recorders. We are trying to find out how science is effecting turtles that have these devices attached to their shells.
This picture was taken with a 28-200 mm lens
See you tomorrow
Welcome to the blog AL

A Sea Turtle picture a day #33

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day.Todays picture is of a Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas)that was hovering while being cleaned by cleaner fish off the coast of hawaii. This is one of my favorite cleaning station pictures.
This picture was taken with a 12-24 mm lens
As some of you may know I am now down in San Diego participating in a research project. I will post pictures of this project starting on Tuesday.
Have a great day.
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #32

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. And thank you for your responding to my question. I am just waiting on my ride to go to the airport and then it is off to San Diego to work at the lab.I will be posting a few pictures of what we are doing once the project gets rolling.
Today's picture is from a past project.It is of a Leatherback Sea turtles nest. Once all the hatchlings had left the nest we would dig up the nest and count all of the eggs that had hatched as well as the ones that did not.If you notice in the picture there are a lot of eggs in this particular nest that didn't hatch. And also notice the difference in the size of the eggs. There were a few straggler hatchlings that were at the bottom of the nest that we were able to release into the ocean.

A Sea Turtle picture a day #31

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Tomorrow I am going to be go on a trip to San Diego to help with a research project that will have me making fiberglass molds of Sea Turtles that will eventually be used in a wind tunnel experiment. I will post pictures that show the work in progress. My photography of Sea Turtles over the years has been fun and I not only have pretty Sea Turtle pictures I also have been involved in some scientific projects and have some awesome photos of some of the work we have done.

I would like to know from you the readers if it is OK for me to post some of these pictures as well? I don't know about you guys but the thing that I love about taking pictures of Sea Turtles other than the flooded cameras and the sand that somehow gets into all the gear that I use.Is being able to see how they really live and how they interact with each other and their environment.I would love to share these pictures with you as well.

Please post your comments and let me know if it is OK.

Today's picture keeps us at the beach. Here a Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas)is basking. What struck me about this scene is one Sea Turtle is using another as a pillow.I was fun to sit there and watch these two turtles sleep in the sun.

This picture was taken with a 70-200 mm lens
See you tomorrow from San Diego

A Sea Turtle picture a day #30

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are heading down to the British Virgin Islands to search for the rarest of all the Sea Turtles. The Leatherback Sea Turtle(Dermochelys coriacea). This picture is of a hatchling right as it is struggling out of its nest in the sand.
This picture was taken with a 60 mm macro lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #29

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are heading back above the surface of the ocean and heading to one of my favorite places to see Sea Turtles above the water. Koloko State park in Kona Hawaii is one of the best places to see turtles basking in the afternoon sun. This picture is of a Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas) and was taken right as the sun was setting.
This picture was taken with a 20-200 mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #28

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are going to be going below the surface of the Pacific ocean to visit the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas). This picture here is of a Green Sea Turtle that is being cleaned by both Yellow Tangs and also Surgeon fish. The Yellow Tang love to pick the Algae off of the neck and flippers of the turtle while the Surgeon fish like to work on the smoother surfaces like the shell.
This picture was taken with a 12-24 mm lens
See You Tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #27

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are back on the surface at Koloko State park on the West Side of the Big Island of Hawaii. This Picture is of a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) That is basking in the sun.It has been out of the water for so long that the sun has given this turtle a dried out look.
To me this turtle looks like it is a dinosaur.It has evolved for over 150 million years to get to what I am taking a picture of.Just that thought is mind boggling.
This picture was taken with a 70-200 mm lens
Se you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #26

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are heading back underwater in Hawaii in South Kona. This is a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) that was lazily swimming along the reef as I was diving there. As you can see on the back of its shell this turtle needs to visit a cleaning station to get some of that algae cleaned off.
This picture was taken with a 15 mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #25

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are heading back to Kona Hawaii. The picture for today is of a group of Green Sea Turtles that are basking in the sun. Basking is a behaviour that is only seen in Hawaii and the Galapagos. Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) Haul out onto the beach during the day to sun themselves.It is believed that the turtle throws sand on its shell to cool itself.
When the Sea Turtles bask it is a great way for non divers to see the turtles up close.
This picture was taken with a 70-200 mm lens
See you tomorrow.

A Sea Turtle picture a day #24

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are going over to Hawaii. This picture is of a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) swimming along the reef at a dive site in South Kona, This picture is pretty significant to me since this is one of the first pictures that I took underwater with a digital camera in a housing. There were so many little things to learn with taking pictures in a housing.
This picture was taken with a 12-24 mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #23

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A day. Today we are heading back to Hawaii.I had been walking along the beach at Koloko state park looking for Basking Green Turtles (Basking is a behaviour where turtles crawl out of the water to warm themselves in the sun). The sun was just starting to set when I came upon this pair that was sleeping along the shore line.
This picture was taken with a 70-200 mm lens.
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #22

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are heading over to the West side of the Big Island of Hawaii to one of my favorite places to see turtles in the world. This is the Turtle cleaning station.Todays picture is that of a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) being cleaned by Yellow Tang and Surgeon fish.
What is so amazing about spending time at a cleaning station is to just be able to see how different species interact with each other. The Sea Turtle gets its shell cleaned and the fish get a snack.
This picture was taken with a 12-24 mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #21

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are heading back to Tortolla British Virgin Islands. This picture is of a Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) hatchling that is just crawling out of the nest and seeing daylight for the first time. This is the first time that I ever witnessed a hatchling ever emerging from the nest.If you notice in the picture this hatchling still has its egg beak. That is an added growth on the tip of its nose to help it break thru its shell. The beak then later falls off.
This picture was taken with a 60mm macro lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #20

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle Picture A Day. Today we are heading back to Mexico. This picture is of a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Hatchling that is just a few hours old heading towards the ocean. Tracy commented about yesterday's picture looking like an old man so I figured I better post one that looked like a baby.
This picture was taken with a 60mm lens
See You tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #19

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture A Day.Todays picture is of a Green Sea Turtle ( Chelonia mydas). This is a close up of a Sea Turtles face. This turtle was laying out on the beach basking and I really was intrigued with the look of its face.I was thinking to myself that this Sea Turtle has evolved for 150 million years to be able to adapt to its life in the ocean.I hope you like this picture.
This picture was taken with a 28-200mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #18

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle picture a day. Today we are heading to the west side of the Big Island to one of my favorite dives in the world. The Turtle cleaning station.In this picture a Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas) is sitting on the bottom at the cleaning station being cleaned. You can see in the picture the algea that is growing on the back and neck of the turtle. Also in the back ground the cleaner fish are at work cleaning the turtle.
This picture was taken with a 12-24mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #17

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture a day. Today we are heading down to Tortola British Virgin Islands. This picture is of a Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) hatchling that is just entering the water.As I watched the group of hatching's entering the water I thought that it would make a good picture of one right as is entered the water. There were only a handful of hatching's so I did not have that many chances. This is the best one.
This picture was taken with a 60mm macro lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #16

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle picture a day. Today we are heading to the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii.I was walking along the shore line in the early afternoon when I spotted a couple of Green Sea turtles(Chelonia mydas) foraging in the tide pools.I picked a spot where I wouldn't get my cameras wet and sat down and watched the guys in the tide pool. This particular turtle noticed me and started to pay attention to where I was sitting.It worked its way pretty close to me.I don't know why it approached me but it presented a very good opportunity for me to get a few really good pictures.
This picture was taken with a 70-200mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #15

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture a day. Today we are heading back down to Mexico.This picture is of a Olive Ridley(Lepidochelys olivacea) hatchling that is struggling getting thru some vegetation that is growing along the shore line. I really liked the color of the flowers and the size relationship with the hatchlings. All of the hatchlings made it thru the vegetation and down into the ocean saftely.
This picture was taken with a 60mm lens

A Sea Turtle picture a day #14

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle picture a day. Today I figured that I wanted to change things up a little bit. The picture for today is a close up of a Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas) face.
What really made me focus on this picture is the detail in the eye and also the facial pattern. The facial pattern on the Green Sea turtles head is unique to that turtle,much like a fingerprint is to a human. These facial patterns are used as an identification tool.
This picture was taken with a 70-200mm lens
See You Tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #13

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture a day. Today we are heading back to my favorite place in the world to see Sea Turtles. The Puako cleaning station on the Big Island of Hawaii
A cleaning station is a particular area of the reef where a particular inhabitant of the reef goes to be cleaned by another inhabitant. One gets a shower the other gets a meal.
In our case the Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas)is being cleaned by Yellow Tang. The Sea Turtle gets the algea cleaned off of its shell and the Tangs get a snack.
I can swim in circles for hours and watching this and in fact I have and have many more awesome pictures to share with you.
This picture was taken with a 12-24mm wide angle lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #12

Welcome back to A Sea Turtle Picture a day. Today we are off to the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.This picture is of a Leatherback Sea turtle(Dermochelys coriacea)hatchling that is making its way down to the ocean after coming out of its nest.
When I took this picture I was on a trip to video and photograph Leatherback hatchlings as they emerged from their nest. I was following this particular hatchling with both a video camera and my still camera alternating between the two.
The lens I used was a 60mm macro lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #11

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle picture a day .Today we are back in the Hawaiian Islands. Those of you that have been following this blog may notice that alot of my Turtle pictures are taken there.The reason for that is that The Hawaiian Islands are one of the best places in the world to see Sea Turtles up close.
Today's picture is that of a Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas)that is in the tide pools looking for food.I sat along the shore line watching a few of these guys foraging.I was using a telephoto lens and patiently waiting for one of them to raise its head for a breath.I think that this is an awesome photo.
Picture taken with a 70- 300mm lens
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #10

Welcome back to a Sea Turtle Picture a day.Today's picture is of a Green Sea Turtle(Chelonia mydas) that has crawled out on the rocks to Bask. Basking is a way that Sea Turtles warm them selves.
This picture was taken in Hawaii. One of the things that I like the most about this picture is the algae on the back of the turtle matches the algae that is growing on the surrounding lava rocks.
This photo was taken with a 70-200mm telephoto lens.
See you tomorrow

A Sea Turtle picture a day #9

Happy new year everyone. I hope that everyone is doing well and ready for an exciting new year. Welcome back to A Sea Turtle a day.As I was looking thru my Turtle pictures this morning i was thinking about which pictures moved me the most as I was taking them.In the last 3 years I have been on more then 10 dedicated turtle adventures and have seen a lot of really great Sea Turtle behaviour but the thing that really gets me is watching a nest of hatching's emerge from the sand and get their orientation to the horizon and quickly move towards the ocean.
The photo trip that I was able to see this behaviour was in the British Virgin Islands.I was hired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp to go to the BVI and get some Leatherback sea turtle footage for a special segment that they were working on.I also brought my cameras as well as their video equipment.
I was staying in a beach side home that had known Leatherback sea turtle nest right in front of it.My assignment was to catch the hatching's on camera when they emerged,Sounds easy right? The only problem is that the hatching's usually come out after 7pm or before 7am. That meant that I spent a lot of sleepless night alone with my camera gear on the beach. I am not complaining I was able to get some great photos and video.
This picture is of a Leatherback Sea Turtle emerging out of the sand
Taken with a 60 mm macro lens
See you tomorrow.