This is WHY I Scuba: 25 Turtles from Around the Globe

Turtles are fascinating. There have been some exciting to watch documentaries that capture your imagination and give you such respect for these ancient creatures. You are perhaps already aware that sea turtles go back 100 million years and are an integral part of the Earth's eco-system. There are seven species of turtles.

Tracking and studies have shown that the average sea turtle can live up to 50 years and possibly more. A marine turtle takes decades to mature, and it is a struggle for them to hold onto their lives and become reproductively active.

There are so many things that can happen to a sea turtle. It it is one of the lucky ones to make it from its egg into the sea it then has a myriad of challenges to face. Not only are there natural preditors, but man has made a real mess of the underwater world. One of the biggest man-made threats to the sea turtle would be fishing gear. The turtles sometimes get caught up in the fishing nets and struggle though an agonizing death as they try to escape.

Male and female turtles migrate thousands and thousands of miles in their lifetime. Have you ever wondered about their shells? Of the seven sea turtle species, six have hard shells but there is one variety called the Leatherback that has a leather type of shell. Leatherbacks are the largest sea turtles and can measure up to 63 inches and weigh upward of 1500 pounds!

How sad to know that six of the seven species are endangered or threatened by man.

The collection of photographs taken by scuba divers are not only interesting; they are beautiful and give us a little glimpse into the underwater world these ocean favorites occupy.

Please visit the 'Scuba Diving' website below to view and enjoy the photos!