Swimming with sea turtles? This is one of the mesmerizing things to do for swimmers. If you have ever watched videos of turtles swimming calmly in the clear waters, you will feel good too. And what if you can swim along with them? It will definitely amaze you.
Now you might think that if it is possible to do so then why not many people know about it. This is mainly because of the safety of sea turtles. They are actually a really old animal species on earth. Furthermore, they survived the ice age. However, human actions are creating problems for them. Therefore, a lot of sea turtles are disappearing. Thus, swimmers need to follow some guidelines for the safety of these turtles.
You will get all the details when you go to the place. Furthermore, curacao-trips.com can help you in planning your trip to Klein Curacao anytime you want. They plan three trips daily so if you are lucky you might not have to wait. Be sure to visit www.curacao-trips.com and get your dream trip.
Guidelines to follow
But once you get permission to go there and swim with sea turtles, you need to follow these guidelines;
- You are not allowed to touch the turtles or feed them.
- Maintain your distance from them whether you are swimming or you interact with them on land.
- You are not allowed to disturb or damage the vegetation. You cannot damage the vegetation near the shoreline because it prevents erosion and stabilizes the dunes.
- Do not buy anything related to turtles means jewelry made from turtles’ shells or anything made from their body. This will only promote them to cause harm to the turtles.
So where can you go to enjoy the sight? Here is a list of places where you can go;
1. Maldives (Ari Atoll)
The Maldives is one of the places to visit for a lot of people. So if you want to watch sea turtles, you can plan your Maldives trip and enjoy everything you want. There is a place “Ari Atoll” in the Maldives where you can easily find the turtles and can get the chance to swim with them.
This place is abundant in Ridley and hawksbill sea turtles. However, you won’t find them anywhere else in the Maldives. Therefore, you need to go to Ari Atoll to enjoy their sight. In addition to this, there is a place in Maldives, Villingili, where these turtles go for nesting. So if you visit these places, there is a high chance that you will meet these ancient creatures.
You can rent out an overwater villa in villingili and enjoy the shallow waters as well as turtles. Moreover, you will also get to see reef sharks (black-tipped) and manta rays. They will swim around the place and even if you cannot go in the water, you can enjoy watching them hovering around the place.
2. Ecuador (Galapagos Islands)
Chelonia mydas agassisi is the famous green sea turtle of Galapagos and they exist only there. They are different green turtles in the tropical and subtropical water of the Pacific Ocean. The difference between them and other green sea turtles is of the lower jaw. Galapagos turtles have a serrated jaw. Moreover, they also have a pair of scales that covers their eyes. So if you are a marine scientist, you will be able to differentiate them.
However, you can simply enjoy a swim with them. No need to pay attention to differentiating them from others. In addition to this, you can watch them all year round however, their best time is from December to March. This is also their nesting time and then the eggs hatch from February to May.
3. Mexico (Akumal)
Mexico has a rather warm temperature and therefore, it is one of the favorite habitats of turtles. Akumal beach is famous for the turtle habitation and that’s why they have got this name. The word Akumal means “place of the Turtles”. Thus, you can enjoy a calm swim with the turtles.
Furthermore, Akumal is also known for its calm waters and tropical fish. In addition to this, it also has the 2nd largest natural coral reef system. So you will be having a completely wide natural oceanic place to enjoy. Another interesting thing there is the “Loggerhead” turtle of Mexico, which belongs to the giant species. It belongs to 30 percent of the world’s population.
4. Hawaii (Maui)
Hawaii is also a hot travel destination for tourists. The green turtle species is common there in Turtle town which is on the South coast of Maui. In addition to the green ones, you will also get to see olive ridley, leatherback, loggerhead and hawksbill turtle species. Although they swim in the deep waters in the underwater lava formations but the green turtles also visit the ashore.
They love to bask, so they find the isolated places on the land and appear there. Basking is not a common behavior among sea turtles. Therefore, if you have a special interest in marine life, you will surely enjoy it.
5. Barbados
Barbados started the Sea turtle Project that put a ban on the hunting of turtles. The ban includes hunting of eggs, shells and also meat. Thus, it has a healthy population of leatherback and hawksbill turtles. The project protects life in a very careful manner. You might think that you won’t be allowed near their living space but that is not true.
Barbados project allows tourists to visit the site and also encourages them to look and report nesting sites. You just need to be careful to not damage their living space and to hurt them. So you can enjoy them from a distance and spend time watching them. Furthermore, you will also get to see coral reefs, algae and sponges there.
