Green turtle swimming over a coral reef, Lady Elliot Island, Queensland
Green turtle swimming over a coral reef, Lady Elliot Island, Queensland (© seanscott/Getty Images)
A seriously scenic swim
If you’ve ever gone for a dive or snorkel around the Great Barrier Reef, there’s a good chance you would have encountered today’s homepage star. The green turtle, also known by its scientific name Chelonia mydas, can be found throughout much of the globe’s tropical and subtropical waters, as well as a little closer to home here in Lady Elliot Island, Western Australia, and the country’s northern coast. This stunning swimmer is the only herbivorous marine turtle, feasting almost solely on seagrass and algae throughout the Reef area which is known to be an important feeding location for turtles which nest locally, as well as those that nest in other regions and countries.
© seanscott/Getty Images