Marine biologist David Gruber made an incredible discovery during a dive in the Solomon Islands. The researcher, along with his team, was in search of known bio-fluorescent creatures, such as coral reefs, when a luminescent hawksbill sea turtle swam past. Luckily, the researchers happened to be carrying specialized equipment, which allowed them to capture the unique glowing turtle on camera. The video can be viewed on National Geographic here.
GLOWING HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE STUNS SCIENTISTS
“… I don’t think anyone’s ever seen this,” said Alexander Gaos, the director of the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative, to National Geographic. “This is really quite amazing.”
This discovery is the first example of bio-fluorescence found in a reptile, although the phenomenon commonly occurs among marine fish species. The glowing effect, which is useful for communication and mating, occurs when an organism absorbs light, transforms it and then ejects it as a different color. According to Gruber, the animal seem to resemble an “alien craft” with patches of neon green, orange and red all over its head and body.
Scientists are still uncertain if this ability is limited to a small population of hawksbill sea turtles in the Solomon Islands. Captive hawksbills in a nearby community have been shown to glow red, but there is not enough data to support the claim that the trait is present on a large-scale.
As an explanation for why they glow in the first place, National Geographic writer Jane J. Lee writes that the ability may act as a type of camouflage. The shell of the hawksbill is particularly useful for concealing the animal while it swims among glowing reefs.
The find – a first in history – has opened up a whole new frontier of study for researchers. However, examining the species may prove to be difficult, as it is critically endangered; in fact, in recent years, populations numbers have dropped nearly 90 percent on a global scale. In any case, if Gruber and his team can’t get their hands on a hawksbill, there’s always the option of studying the green sea turtle, which is closely related.
