Do turtles ever attack?

[tropicaledit]

Hey all, havent been on SB for a while, just moved over to LBTS. Question though, I went out off LBTS beach, came across a loggerhead turtle. He was digging for some food in the coral with his back to me when it turned sideways and finally noticed me, it spooked him. So he takes off pretty quick, but then circles around and comes back close to me almost like defensively, like that was his turf. I just stayed in the same position the whole time. Anyway, I was curious to if anyone has had an aggressive
incident with a turtle before.

 

[K Mejean]

I have. Not in the wild. Every turtle I have seen in the wild has always gotten spooked and hauled out of there. I work at the Florida Aquarium as a Divemaster though and the turtle that is in the shark tank there is pretty mean. Most of the time she just leaves us alone but when she gets in a bad mood she can do some damage. She has bit at a few people. We always stop her from getting to the guests that are in the tank so no one has anything to fear if they decide to come swim with us but to answer your question.... yes they can be aggressive and the bites hurt.

 

[thanksforallthefish]

Not actually about a turtle attack but ...

I went to a talk given by a prominent Aussie diver and marine biologist who related a story about watching turtles mating. Somehow he ended up in the turtle conga line and wished he wasn't if you get my drift!

Apparently they are not gentle

 

[cudachaser]

Once in WPB, I disturbed a 300# or so turtle sleeping under a ledge...he made 3 passes at me ...mouth wide open

 

[John_B]

Sounds to me like this particular loggerhead wasn't willing to give up whatever meal he had found, just because you showed up. I think the reaction depends on the species; I've seen a number green sea turtles that spooked and bolted at the sight of divers, and I've seen hawksbills that could care less whether a diver was in their vicinity.

 

[Orlando Eric]

There was one at the BHB a few years ago that bit more than one diver. This sort of thing happens normally when people feed them, such as alligators. They have large parrot beaks I do not think a bit would be healty, I do not however know if they can shear off a piece and swim on?

I'd rather fight off a turtle than a shark or cuda though.

 

[cudachaser]

Remember the posts that popped up here a few years ago about the male sea turtle in Islamorada that very amorous to divers?

 

[ReefHound]

Check out the video of this grumpy turtle that kept trying to bite the camera and another diver's fins, who was clearly trying to back away from an advancing turtle.

 

[Divergirl4U]

Wow I never knew:shocked2:

 

[TwoBitTxn]

There was a dive master in Gulf Shores who got bit on the knee. I don't recall what kind of turtle it was though. He works (worked) for Down Under.

TwoBit