Turtles are reptiles and although they spend most of their lives in the ocean they have to come to the surface to breathe. The largest species weighing in at around 2000 pounds (900kgs) is the great Leatherback sea turtle whose shell can grow to over 6 feet (2m) in size.

If you are lucky enough to meet one on a dive and get to look them in the eye at close quarters perhaps you will notice what seems to be an age-old wisdom behind those large, knowing eyes.

Many species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered and vulnerable to a number of threats including by-catch from indiscriminate fishing practices, ocean pollution, ingestion of plastics they mistake for jelly fish which form a large part of their diet and loss of nesting grounds due to human development.