TURTLE-Y AWESOME
ONCE covered in sand, Kirra Reef has reappeared and is teeming with life – including this loggerhead turtle that could be half a century or more old.
Hayley Mason was swimming on the reef with friends when they spotted the large turtle resting next to a rock.
“Oh my goodness, it was huge,” Ms Mason said yesterday. “I have swum with heaps of turtles on Cook Island but they were tiny compared to this.”
Photos of the encounter were taken by Calin Jones, who says he makes the sevenminute swim to Kirra Reef almost every week, depending on water clarity.
“It is getting a lot better. I see more and more there every time I go,” he said. “He was the biggest loggerhead I have ever swum with.”
SeaWorld acting head of marine science Marnie Horton said it was an adult loggerhead, which she estimated could be more than 50 years old.