31 Oct 22 - Indonesia - Banda Sea Cruise Day 5 - Olive Ridley Turtle

One of my favourite wildlife groups are Sea Turtles. Seeing any Sea Turtle is special and my highlight of the crossing from the Tanimbar Islands to Babar Island was when I picked up a Sea Turtle drifting past on the surface & close to the starboard side. It was only my second Olive Ridley Turtle, after one I saw on the Atlantic Odyssey on the crossing between Ascension Island and the Cape Verde Islands, on 28 Apr 18.

Olive Ridley Turtles are relatively small rounded Sea Turtles which only grow to about eighty cm in length, compared to the slightly larger Hawksbill Turtles, Green and Loggerhead Turtles which grown to just over a metre and Leatherbacks than can grown to close to two metres. The best ways to identify Sea Turtles is often to photograph the top of the head and shell, as the head & shell segments are generally distinctive. Sadly, this wasn't possible in this case, but Olive Ridley Turtles have distinctive face markings and dull olive-green shells, which is how this Sea Turtle was identified.

Olive Ridley Turtle: This was my only photo showning the side of the face. Olive Ridley Turtles have a relatively plain side of the face, darker on the upper side and paler below and a dark eye patch, whereas most of the other Sea Turtles in range have brighter blotchy faces caused by each dark segment being edged by pale colouration. Leatherback Turtles have pale spots on a dark side to the face

Olive Ridley Turtle: Showing a flipper

Olive Ridley Turtle: This photo confirms the dull olive colouration of the body shell

Although it didn't dive as it passed us, it did keep its head underwater for most of the time we saw it. All to quickly we were passed it.