Sea Turtle Crossing

Glad I Packed The Camera

The first thing I make sure I pack before heading on a trip at this point in my life is always a camera. If I am going anywhere out of the ordinary or new to me, bringing my camera is of the highest priority, there may well be exquisite stories to tell. I love a story told only in words more than most people do, in fact, I spend a good deal of my life doing just that, but words alone often fail to convey specificity of color, texture, and lighting as well as a photograph can, as is the case with the photo above, one that brings me so much joy to this day. The Green Sea Turtles pictured are an endangered species and seeing so many adolescents in one frame, let alone a lifetime, is truly a treat and the photograph is one that helps seal a specific memory for me. The experience of reviewing my photos at the end of the day this scene was captured brought me to thinking about sea turtle conservation in a way that few people thought of sea turtle conservation at the time I took the photo in 2009 (obviously now if you have a plastic straw at a restaurant, someone slapping it out of your hand, letting you know it will end up stuck in a sea turtle's nose is a real possibility, but the world was different then). It got me to research the Cayman Turtle Centre, and to decide to donate to different hatch release programs, but still respect much of the work of the Centre.

A Little Backstory

Admittedly, I was being touristy on Grand Cayman, part of a cruise excursion to boot, when I visited the Cayman Turtle Centre in January of 2009 and captured the scene pictured above. It was an optional excursion which interested me because I am a big fan of nature in general, turtles (the wild varieties) are some of my favorite animals to see up close, and endangered species conservation is a cause I have cared about as far back as I can remember (World Wild Life supporter from youth). This photograph, taken shortly after a rain storm, shows a group of adolescent Green Sea Turtles, once sorted by size and age, taking advantage of the increased water levels to choose which of the massive outdoor saltwater pools to swim in, caring not for what their caretakers might think.

Though, this photograph is one that has caught my eye many times as I have cycled through old photos, it was the impact of wanting to know more about sea turtle conservation efforts that may have had the biggest impact on me. Upon research at home, I would learn of the controversies surrounding the tourist trap/ conservation center/ turtle farm I had visited. Owned by the Cayman Islands government, the Cayman Turtle Centre does hatch and release programs as well as education and outreach work for locals and tourists alike, but has come under attack for supplying endangered Green Sea Turtle meat for local markets, helping to perpetuate the eating of an endangered animal. It can also be argued that by farming the meat it helps protect wild turtles from poaching. Animal rights groups have also targeted the Centre for health and hygiene concerns and raised legitimate concerns for how the turtles have been raised over the years. It is important to note that there have been attempts and programs developed at the Centre to address some of the concerns raised. Controversies aside, getting the chance to see so many individuals of an endangered species up close, many of whom would later be released into the ocean to help bolster wild populations ravaged by centuries of overharvesting, was an incredible and memorable treat for someone who cares deeply about the conservation of species drastically impacted by human intervention.

Making The Photograph Pop

This photograph was captured on a Cannon Powershot A560 with an ISO setting of 80 on an overcast day using only natural light. Generally, I am a huge fan of preserving as much of the natural lighting and color of a photo taken in the outdoors as possible. The lighting, the way shadows are cast, and the way colors are captured tell a story of the moment. With this photograph, taken on a overcast day after recent rains, I wanted to preserve as much of the natural beauty of the Green Sea Turtle as possible while helping to display the color and contrast of these amazing individuals of the gorgeous species. Color saturation has been boosted uniformly for the entire photo as has lighting, no shadows were added or deleted and no brushes or tools were used to alter the natural patterning of the turtles nor the water they appear in. Importantly, no filters or color shifting was used, meaning the turtles appear how they likely would if seen by the naked eye on a slightly sunnier day than when I had visited, swimming in the same water, overcoming the same dividing wall.

Why This Photo Sticks With Me

The patterning, colors, textures, tones, and daily lives of wildlife are the focus and at the center of most of my photography. I endeavor to tell a story and to inspire an interest and a caring for the subjects of the photographs I capture in the audience that sees them. In the case of this photo, I was the audience that was profoundly inspired by it. At the time I took the photo, I had a young child, a wife, and many competing priorities. A constant focus and care for the natural world was very much on the back burner for me at the time. It was this photograph, and reviewing it the day, weeks, and years after taking it, that has helped remind me of my love and care for the natural world and serves as a chance for me to think about the natural world's and conservation's place in my life each time I see it. I'd invite anyone seeing this photograph to use it the same way that I have and to take the chance to learn more about endangered species conservation as well as what they can do to help in the effort.