Snorkeling with Sea Turtles: The Story Behind Cleo and Rex
First time I saw a sea turtle (Sal Island, Cape Verde) In October 2022, I saw my first sea turtle in the wild. I was on Sal Island, in Cape Verde, and I still remember the moment clearly: a green sea turtle, visible in crystal-clear water. I swam slowly toward it, but as soon as it noticed me, it started moving away. It only lasted a few seconds, but something about it stayed with me long after I got home. What I didn't expect was that this brief encounter would end up changing the lives of two turtles much closer to home. My wife's sons had a pair of turtles that had, over time, been somewhat forgotten — living in an aquarium with poor conditions, no real filtration, no proper lighting, and clearly not thriving. I'd walked past that tank more times than I can count without really seeing it. But after Cape Verde, I couldn't look at it the same way again. So I did what anyone mildly obsessed would do: I started researching. I read about proper turtle care, water quali...