Hawaiian sea turtles take to the waves

 He has eaten a big lunch and had a snooze on the beach. So this turtle is looking for a nice quiet journey home.

Rather than be crashed about on the breakers as he makes his way back out to sea, he ducks down to the sand for a smoother ride.

The Hawaiian green sea turtle makes the same journey every day to and from the Laniakea Beach in Hawaii, where he munches on seaweed and takes his rest. 

Here comes the wave: A giant Hawaiian sea turtle prepares to ride the surf

He and his friends have been caught on camera by surf photographer Clark Little.
Mr Little, 40, took the pictures this summer while shooting waves from below sea-level.

 

He said: 'The turtles often travel through the breaking waves. I usually run into them after they have been eating. What they try and do is swim under the wave, to avoid a thrashing. 

The creatures barrel through the surf in their quest to reach the shore 

'The turtles come to the shore to get the seaweed that grows there. They also swim in to sleep.'
The creatures are so used to the routine, it is easy to imagine them enjoying the same laid-back surfer’s lifestyle as the turtles in Finding Nemo. 

The Hawaiian sea turtles are reminiscent of the band of surfing turtles in 2003's Finding Nemo

 

Clark, who specialises in capturing images of the inside of breaking waves, has released the shots as part of a new book.
The father-of-two gets his shots of the turtles by swimming in seas and crouching down with his waterproof camera to capture rarely seen views.

Clark, from Oahu, Hawaii, says he often risks his life to capture the photographs.

He said: 'I love the ocean - I am addicted to the waves. I'm always in the water before dawn to try and snap that perfect picture as the sun rises.'