Sea Turtle over a Coral Reef

A green sea turtle swims just below the sunlit surface above a coral reef. Irregular plates cover its shell, and a long front flipper reaches out beside its head. Small fish pass among sea fans and branching coral below. Pale sand appears in the gaps, while blue water opens above the reef.

The shell's large plates differ from the much smaller scales around the turtle's eye and neck. Both patterns contain brown and pale green, but their size tells you where a piece belongs. Beneath the animal, coral grows in fans, branches and rounded clusters. The water between them is darker than the sandy gaps. Near the top edge, sunlight breaks into bright ripples that belong to the surface rather than the reef.