Doyenne of the deep

Scuba divers are on a treasure hunt every time they enter the water. Part of the thrill of a dive is never knowing what will swim by. Now that I dive with a camera in an underwater housing, I try even harder to find creatures I can photograph to share with nondivers. Turtles are one of my favorite subjects, with their beautifully patterned shells and big black eyes. They're rare, sadly, since every species of sea turtle is endangered. They're often shy and will flee - quickly, gracefully - if they see divers.

During a visit to Turneffe Flats in Belize, we saw turtles three times. We nicknamed this hawksbill "Naomi Campbell" (after the supermodel) because she seemed to love being photographed. She swam with me for several minutes, right in front of my camera lens, changing poses every time I took a shot. Even the flash didn't scare her off. Sometimes turtles swim up to a camera, mistaking the lens for their favorite food, jellyfish. But I don't think Naomi was hungry. She just wanted to be a cover girl.