About the Green Sea Turtle Drawing
I have encountered Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in several parts of the world, including South Carolina, Hawaii, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and Costa Rica. Each encounter has reinforced how naturally these large turtles move through the water, propelled by broad flippers with a grace that seems almost effortless.
After returning from a trip to Australia, where I had snorkeled with Green Sea Turtles near Wilson Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef, I described the experience to an Australian friend. He replied that he had conducted research on Wilson Island and had watched Tiger Sharks “rip apart” Green Sea Turtles just off the beach. I was left with the slightly unsettling thought that, viewed from below, I might look rather like a sea turtle while swimming in a dark wetsuit.
One of my favorite experiences was watching Green Sea Turtles come ashore to nest at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, home to the largest green-turtle nesting colony in the Western Hemisphere. Jaguars also visit those beaches and prey on nesting turtles, linking the marine and terrestrial ecosystems in a particularly dramatic way.
In Ocean Traveler, I wanted the turtle to appear as though it were flying through the water. I deliberately left the background empty, removing the seafloor, reef, and surface so that nothing interrupts the sense of movement and suspension. The perspective of the broad flippers carries the turtle toward the viewer, while the graphite emphasizes the patterned head, streamlined shell, and intricate scales.
Ocean Traveler is a graphite pencil Green Sea Turtle drawing by Michael E. Dorcas for Tantilla Art.