Good Samaritan Turtle Keeps Neighbors Afloat

Copyright - Darren Hoyt

I’m about a year late in finding this, but thought I’d share this pic from Darren Hoyt and Wistar Watts Murray, who found a few critters waiting out a rainstorm in a swimming pool drain.  This good Samaritan turtle lent his height to his frog and spider companions to keep them above water until they were found.  Very admirable, but I must say I would’ve eaten the spider if given the chance…at least if it weren’t so big and scary.

Aimee Pearson's Tattoo, Courtesy of the Daily Progress

Apparently one California woman found this story so inspirational that she had the image tattooed on her back, an act which earned her an article in Charlotteville, North Carolina’s Daily Progress and a  place in last December’s Tattoo News Review.

The oddest thing this story teaches us?  There’s a Tattoo News Review.

Who knew technology could bring turtles together?

Well, I did it.  I got up the guts to reach out and make my first virtual friend.  Tiny’s blog said he was waiting for an underwater computer to be invented, so as the perhaps the world’s best-educated turtle in all matters technological, I emailed to share my research on the total liquid submersion computer.  After a few sleepless nights wondering whether I’d hear back  — or rather,  listening to my human pitter-patter away on the keyboard at all hours — I got an email from Tiny thanking me for the  technological advice and telling me he liked my video.  I think that counts as the first official critique I’ve gotten on my performance, so it was great to hear.  Also learned that Tiny and I blog from the same log….I love having something in common with someone for a change!

Single green female seeks friendship with fellow turtle

Those of you who’ve met me in person know that I live with a school of minnows and can peek out of my tank and see hundreds of fry butting heads (accidentally, due to the overpopulation), snails going at it (yes, like that), and shrimp doing, uh, shrimpy things next door.  (Skittering, maybe?  Yeah, skittering.)  But I really don’t get the impression that anyone  here quite understands me.  My human shares my love of technology and has been blogging himself, and the fish certainly understand my “water’s always bluer” mentality (known to some as claustrophobia), but there’s something uniquely turtle about me that keep us from really hitting it off.   So I’m working up the courage to venture into the world of virtual friendship.

I came across the blog of another turtle the other day and instantly felt a connection… it’s as if every word in his blog is a window into my soul, and pure poetry:

i like to
swim
around the Tank
and float on th
e loG

Okay, so it was prose in his blog, but anything is better e.e. cummingsified.  Everything this Turtle says just speaks to me.  (No, that wasn’t more e.e. cummingsification; he really goes by Turtle, though his given name is Tiny.)   If only I weren’t so shy and could actually speak back!