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Feeding Frenzy


Feeding Frenzy
Photo Information
Copyright: Lesley Hodgson (ma-at) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 242 W: 3 N: 187] (1372)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-01-03
Categories: Food, Nature
Camera: Nikon D-70
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/10 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-01-07 12:05
Viewed: 521
Points: 4
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
It was feeding time for the turtles and all mayhem broke loose. Its amazing how agile and sprightly these animals become when food is around. I managed to catch this male turtle just as he was about to clamp down on an iceberg lettuce.This is the largest of the two Malaysian turtles at the National Sea Life Aquarium in Birmingham - weighing in at a mere 54 stones! 746 lbs! or about 340 kgs (but check the figures!).
I think this gives you a sense of the movement going on behind the glass.....

Some info on turtles:

Sea turtles are large, air-breathing reptiles that inhabit tropical and subtropical seas throughout the world. Their shells consist of an upper part (carapace) and a lower section (plastron).

Sea turtles come in many different sizes, shapes and colours. The olive ridley is usually less than 100 pounds, while the leatherback typically ranges from 650 to 1,300 pounds! The carapace, of each sea turtle species ranges in length, colour, shape and arrangement of scales.

Sea turtles do not have teeth, but their jaws have modified "beaks" suited to their particular diet. They do not have visible ears but have eardrums covered by skin. They hear best at low frequencies, and their sense of smell is excellent. Their vision underwater is good, but they are nearsighted out of water. Their streamlined bodies and large flippers make them remarkably adapted to life at sea. However, sea turtles maintain close ties to land.

But in just the past 100 years, demand for turtle meat, eggs, skin and colourful shells has dwindled their populations. Destruction of feeding and nesting habitats and pollution of the world's oceans are all taking a serious toll on remaining sea turtle populations. Many breeding populations have already become extinct, and entire species are being wiped out. There could be a time in the near future when sea turtles are just an oddity found only in aquariums and natural history museums — unless action is taken today.

Info from: www.cccturtle.org
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Lesley!

Oh I'm happy to see this photo. I'm finally a 'certified scuba diver' and when we were in Mexico this was my whole 'must do'- I had to see a sea turtle. And I did! It was soooo amazing, I swear if I weren't 20 meters under water I'd have screamed with joy. They are so graceful and beautiful, and surprisingly calm. Everyone swam quite close to the turtle but he didn't stir until a few minutes passed, then he took flight. Saw so many fish, stingrays, even eagle rays... the sea is beautiful.

Anyways your photo! I like the movement here, especially in the fish- they certainly seem frenzied. But like I said, the turtle is graceful- even when he's excited about his feeding time. :) Over-all a great photo, but the little bit of noise isn't 'that great' although we must take into account this was taken through a piece of thick glass, so no worries! Water isn't 'that clear' :P

Well done Lesley, I'm so glad to see this, so thanks for posting it!

Biance.

Very neat image. Just love aquariums.

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