Face-to-Face With a Soul-Stirring Sea Creature by

Ryan Dearborn '28

Sea turtles are among the most beautiful creatures that God has created, yet they are sadly endangered. During my recent trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, I had the fortune of encountering not one, but two, green sea turtles up close. It was a lifechanging experience that will stay with me forever.

That day, the sky was gloomy and dark, the air smelt of saltwater, and the sound of howling wind against the longabandoned and vandalized hotel nearby warned that a storm was approaching But I was determined while snorkeling to see a turtle in the Escambrón Wildlife Reserve My dad, my brother, as well as a few other tourists, and I swam with our guide throughout the snorkeling section of the bay and observed a variety of fish, including Sergeant Majors and Yellow Tangs, among many others. When we reached the seaweed forest, our guide assured us that we would see turtles; the group ahead of us had mentioned spotting one so I was eager to see a turtle. I had always loved the ocean and sea turtles all of my young life. Since I swam competitively from an early age, I knew I could dive all the way to the seafloor. Upon spotting a turtle resting on a small patch of sand within the seaweed forest, I dove down and looked into its eyes as dark as the night which seemed to reflect like a mirror. That brief and wondrous moment, as it stared back at me, was truly soul-stirring.

Moments later, we saw another turtle, a juvenile like the first one but slightly larger. I managed to get within two feet of it. After this, we continued with the tour, and saw a variety of other sea creatures, including a scattering of sea urchins. When we returned, my dad handed me twenty dollars to give to our guide; as I tipped and thanked our guide, I shared with him that he had helped me achieve a childhood dream. This was the first time I had ever seen a turtle in its natural habitat, making it a truly memorable experience.