A middle-aged bikini clad woman stood offshore in waves reaching up to her waist just beyond the ancient mound of rugged lava rocks. She had a smile on her face that was as innocent as an eight year old child. “Come here. Look. See? It’s a giant turtle!” With one hand, she grazed the surface of the salt water before taking a step backwards. A crowd began to gather as beachcombers paused for a few minutes out of curiosity to watch for an indication she was not exaggerating. With each wave came a glimmer of intense emerald light. Suddenly a spotted head broke the surface of the swell and two dark eyes opened to peer at all the commotion. “He’s feeding”, I heard someone call out. Just about that time the turtle filled its lungs with air and dipped below the surface to catch the next wave which carried it to the fuzzy green seaweed growing along the base of the lava. Nearby snorkelers encircled the mound to watch the species underwater in an effort to capture photographic images of this intriguing reptile. I heard one shout to the other “He’s only got three flippers. One of them is sheared off.” Unlike other turtles, sea turtles cannot retract their legs and head into their shells. Still, its handicap did not seem to hinder its ability to streamline through the water. Touristy onlookers appeared mesmerized while a lively group of teenage boys merely shrugged their shoulders in boredom, having seen hundreds of sea turtles by now, and grabbed their psychedelic boogie-boards to ride the next wave.