On July 3, a very pregnant sea turtle chose a spectacular spot on Sanibel Island, Florida, for her nest. So spectacular, in fact, that a human mother had chosen the exact same place for some family photos. Unfazed by this obstacle, the sea turtle stayed the course for a photobomb the family would never forget.
“I was shocked at what I was seeing,” Brooke Benjamin, co-owner and photographer at B+A Coastal Photo & Video, told The Dodo. Benjamin was behind the camera when the majestic mama turtle unexpectedly joined the session.
B+A Coastal Photo & Video
Benjamin said the turtle poked her head out of the water at almost the exact moment the family stepped into the ocean for a picture. “She even gently bumped into [my client’s] leg, which he initially thought was a rock,” Benjamin said.
The mother turtle breezed past the family, shocking everyone with her speed and determination. Benjamin and her clients gave the turtle plenty of space to get where she needed to go, backing away to watch from a distance.
B+A Coastal Photo & Video
“We did not disturb or scare her, and we respect the fact that the beach is her home,” Benjamin said. Benjamin snapped a few photos of everyone together.
“She was completely unfazed that we were in her presence,” Benjamin said. “And once we moved behind her, she didn’t pay us any attention at all.”
B+A Coastal Photo & Video
It only took the mama about a minute to move up the beach to the spot she’d chosen for her nest.
At that point, Benjamin and her clients decided to move their session away from the turtle. A half hour later, as they left the white sandy beach, they could still see the mama working on her nest and laying her eggs.
“This session was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence,” Benjamin posted to Instagram. “Seeing her beauty and size in person was absolutely mesmerizing,” she added.
B+A Coastal Photo & Video
According to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, almost all of the sea turtles who nest on the Sanibel and Captiva islands are loggerheads. This vulnerable species of turtle typically nest from dusk until dawn, which means a sighting with so much daylight like this is even more rare. Over the course of the season, this mama turtle will lay at least three different nests, and as many as six.
As surreal as this moment was for Benjamin and her clients, it was 100 percent authentic. The photos aren’t doctored in any way. The only phony part? How calm the humans look in the photos.
“We were all startled by its massive size,” Benjamin said, adding, “We are so grateful she felt comfortable enough to grace us with her presence.”
