Everyone loves turtles!!! We see them pretty often while diving in Bonaire, and, because there are so many divers in the water, I think Bonaire turtles are more tolerant of our human obsession to take their photos. They keep right on eating while we swim closer and closer, taking pictures and video to our heart's content.
The STCB (Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire) hosts a free turtle talk a couple of times each month at Yellow Submarine Dive Center, It's very informative, complete with slides and local statistics about the turtles that live and nest on Bonaire. Basically, there are two turtles that are commonly seen in Bonaire, the Hawksbill and the Green Turtle. Green turtles have a round face, while Hawksbills have a pointed beak-like mouth.
Turtles normally start breeding between 15-25 years of age and can live up to 80 years. Young turtles have to surface pretty often, while larger turtles can stay underwater for hours. As males mature, they develop a visible tail and claws.
Females return to the same area where they hatched to breed and lay their own eggs, which is pretty amazing! They breed for 3-4 months and lay multiple nests each season, with about 100 - 150 eggs per nest. Once their eggs are laid, their job is done. About 60 days later, aided by the light of the moon, the nest erupts as little turtles emerge and instinctively crawl to the safety of the ocean.
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| Some turtles travel 4000 - 5000 miles to lay their eggs |
Octopus are the most intelligent known invertebrates, and can change color and the texture of their skin to match their surroundings in the blink of an eye, often blending so perfectly that we swim right over them. I like to look for a pile of empty shells left right outside their den, a sure sign that an octopus lives there.
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| Hiding in the sponges |
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| Jetting away - photo taken in The Saints |
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| Long armed Octopus hiding in the grass in Martinique |
Truly a rare find! We found three seahorses in Bonaire with help from Brita at Dive Friends Bonaire. Did you know that the female lays her eggs in the male's front pouch, so he's the one who is pregnant and who gives birth???
VISIT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIS.COM
WATCH: SEAHORSE GIVES BIRTH TO 2000 BABIES
