Scuba Dive with Turtles
Don’t wait any longer to visit Maui and go scuba diving with turtles because nothing above the surface compares to the excitement awaiting you in the underwater world. Turtles are numerous on the island, and our mobile dive shop in Lahaina knows the best spots to share these creatures with you.
If you’re like us, you enjoy scuba diving with turtles. But who are these animals? Well, here are nine fascinating facts about sea turtles:
- The smallest sea turtle is the Kemp’s Ridley, while the largest is the leatherback. Indeed, the most massive leatherback sea turtle on record weighed in at a whopping 2,019 pounds! You can expect a typical adult turtle to reach 4 feet in width and weigh 350 pounds.
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- Don’t try it yourself, but sea turtles can drink seawater. Sea turtles can drink an amount of saltwater that would make you very, very sick. It doesn’t harm the turtle because the animal can expel excess salt through a gland in its eyes.
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- Green turtles did not get their name for any visible reason. Instead, this nickname refers to the color of a Green Turtle’s inner fatty tissue. Maui has so many Green Turtles!
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- Leatherback Turtles can dive down more than half a mile to catch prey, like a tasty jellyfish!
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- Do not use size to determine the gender of adult turtles. Instead, the male turtles you see scuba diving in Maui have a much longer tail than adult females.
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- Green Turtles conserve oxygen during dives by slowing down their heart rate. For example, during a five-hour descent, this turtle’s heart beats just once every nine minutes.
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- Green Turtles eat vegetarian, preferring seaweed and algae. However, juvenile turtles quite happily consume worms, shellfish, and shrimp.
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- Green Turtles don’t reach reproductive maturity until at least 20 years old. But if they survive, these turtles continue conceiving well past 50 years old.
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- Besides the Hawaiian Island, you can find Green Turtles in places like the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Florida’s Atlantic coastline.
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The Hawaiian islands are home to five species of sea turtles. But unfortunately, Leatherbacks, Loggerheads, Hawksbills, and Olive Ridleys are not often seen during Maui scuba dives. Snorkelers and scuba divers in Lahaina are far more likely to encounter a playful Green Turtle. Please remember to always enjoy your face-to-face encounter without touching or bothering these beautiful animals.
If you visit Maui, come dive with us to see sea turtles! If you scuba dive in Maui only once in your life, make it memorable and book your turtle diving experience in Lahaina with Banyan Tree Divers Maui. We love the ocean and its inhabitants as much as you do, and we promise to show you a great time, every dive!
