[kellyhound]

A diver was working on a conservation project when he came across this cute turtle.

This happened in the San Marcos River in Texas. The person who got this incredible footage is a college student working with river conservation efforts.

As part of that job, they can dive underwater and even film what they see down there.

It is pretty rare to see such an old turtle. Turtles are often depicted in movies, television, and even fables, old and slow. But this guy really takes the cake. He’s covered in algae and while all that algae doesn’t harm him, it’s definitely a sign that he’s been in the water for quite some time.

When watching the video, you can also see that his eyes seem very bright and vibrant. It’s actually cataracts, another sign that this turtle is quite old.

But despite spending many years around the sun, this intelligent creature still has its curiosity and friendliness.

This little guy sure seemed curious about the diver. When the diver is down there with his camera, he won’t move. It is better to keep a respectful distance from wild animals and let them live in peace. However, this turtle just swam in front of the camera.

In most of the photos, it looks like the diver is actually stepping back to give the turtle more space. But the turtle appeared to be unaffected and continued to follow the diver and camera, often looking directly into the lens.

It’s quite cute, and you can clearly see his friendly face.

The good thing is that scuba diver already knew a lot about their undersea friend.

The diver filming this video is a professional, and as such, they can share quite a bit about their encounter with the turtle.

The diver told: “He is super friendly and curious, which is an odd trait for a snapping turtle to have; they are usually timid and skittish. I did not touch, harass or feed this turtle for this video. He came to me of his own free will. I am the original creator of this video. He is still alive and living his best life.”

[Mr.NoCredit]

He’s amazing. How cool this is.

<3

[marcos_69]

That's a snapping turtle. It'll take a finger off if it bites you.