The waves are fairly high around here right now. I can’t even really see the boat anymore. But when the waves carry me on top, I can at least make out the mighty mountain backdrop and even a few of the giant cacti in the far distance.
The sea below me is dark, there is nothing to spot. I can’t tell if the seabed is 20 or even 80 metres below me. I must have just missed the mobulas. Or they have dived down further. I can’t blame them. So back to the boat it is, let’s see if I can find it.
Fighting the waves proves to be more strenuous than I imagined. I don’t feel like I’m making any progress. The sea just pushes me back and forth with its swell.
While I’m trying not to get lost, something bigger suddenly appears in the water in front of me. I can’t recognise it at first, the waves keep building a wall between them.
And then suddenly it’s right in front of me. Within reach. A green sea turtle. Even she seems surprised at how close we are. The next wave brings us even closer. The otherwise so elegant reptile tries to paddle backwards, or at least sideways. Another wave spins us both around, and my finger pulls the trigger of my camera at exactly the one moment when the turtle turns sideways and presents me with the splendour of its back shell. What a unique moment!
Settings: 1/200s, f6.3, ISO 200
My underwater camera gear: Olympus E-PL 10 with 14-42mm using an AOI underwater housing with AOI UWL-09 PRO.
If you enjoyed this story from Baja California, how about these ones:
Travel Tips for Baja California – What you should know before your trip
Baja California: The best experiences and my highlights (with map)
Mobulas: Here’s what you should know about the devil rays in Baja California
Info: These encounters are exceptional and very rare. This moment happened in La Ventana in Baja California Sur in Mexico during a photo workshop with Dive Ninja Expeditions.
