TortugaWatch.Com

PHOTOGRAPHS 2000

These turtles were observed in the same bay as those previously seen but further to the south west.

2000 Picture #11, 2000 Picture #22, & 2000 Picture #33. A turtle 16 inch straight carapace moving from the east to the south west over a turtle grass pasture. This turtle was eating as it traveled taking in wide blades of grass between air intake.

2000 Picture #44 & 2000 Picture #55. A smaller turtle, approximately 12 to 14 inches straight carapace, with the turtle observed in photographs #1,2, and 3. These turtles were eating on the far side of a semi grassed area where the grass was thick. They grazed together, which is an activity observed in 1997,98 and 99.

2000 Picture #66,2000 Picture #77, & 2000 Picture #88. Turtle 18 to 20 inch straight carapace, tagged, with a living mark on scute L2 with a chip on marginal scute R3. This turtle was moving at a steady graceful pace toward the deep water channel in the center of the bay.

2000 Picture #99. A 16 inch straight carapace turtle. The turtle was rapidly moving from the north east to the south west and within minutes it was gone.

2000 Picture #1010. A turtle with a 10 to 12 inch straight carapace grazing. This turtle selected full length blades of wide grass and used it's front flipper nails to help push the blade into the mouth. This eating behavior had been seen and noted before.

2000 Picture #1111. Turtle, straight carapace 18", no living tag. This turtle had moved in quick circular motions toward the surface for air. It had been swimming in a small tight circle selecting sparse wide blades of turtle grass from a field of thin turtle grass. Eating behavior was typical of other turtles observed. Head movements to the right or left ( this turtle did not favor a side) with occasional use of the nail in the front left or right flipper ( depending on which side the blade of grass was located.) Once again when the water was quiet one could hear the turtle chewing.

2000 Picture #1212. A turtle, 16 inches or more straight carapace, no tag or other marks. It's color was gray and brown and it's overall shape was like a "heart."

2000 Picture #1313. Near by another turtle with 14 to 16 inch carapace swimming over tense turtle grass.

Click Here To Go Back To The TortugaWatch Contents Pageback to contents
Question or Comments? E-mail sia@tortugawatch.com or webmaster invoker@fluidmagic.com
All Photographic and Written Content is Copyright © 2000-2006 Sheldon I. Aptekar, All rights reserved.