NEWS -TWO SMALL QUAKES RECORDED IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA

Two small quakes recorded in eastern Oklahoma

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that two small earthquakes registered Sunday in eastern Oklahoma. The quakes' epicenters were near Wellston and Gerty.

 

FROM STAFF REPORTS    

Published: November 27, 2011

Two small earthquakes were recorded in eastern Oklahoma Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A 3.2 magnitude quake hit about 3 miles away from Wellston shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday. It hit 4 miles from Luther and 27 miles away from Oklahoma City.
Before that quake, a 2.1 magnitude earthquake hit 2 miles southeast of Gerty about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Its epicenter was 10 miles away from Allen and 86 miles from Oklahoma City.
Three small earthquakes were reported Friday near Shawnee.
The first two quakes, which measured 3.3 and 2.7 magnitudes, were reported just after 2 p.m. about three miles north of Johnson, which is about 10 miles east of Shawnee, the Oklahoma Geological Survey said.
The third, a 3.1-magnitude earthquake, was reported about three miles northwest of Prague, survey officials reported.
The area has been the center of recent seismic activity lately including the largest recorded earthquake in the state's history, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake on Nov. 5.

ARTICLE -2011 HAS BEEN A YEAR OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN OKLAHOMA

2011 has been year of natural disasters in Oklahoma

Compiled by Bryan Painter   

Published: November 25, 2011

Even though there is more than a month left in 2011, it has been quite the year for disasters including weather-related events, earthquakes and wildfires. Following is a list of some of those compiled with the help of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, National Weather Service, Norman and state Emergency Management Department, The Oklahoman archives. Although there were certainly others, this gives an idea of the wide-range of what Oklahomans have faced in 2011.
January:The month was the 33rd coolest and 6th driest since 1895.
February:In January/February, there were 4 fatalities related to the snowstorm that began on January 31, according to the State Medical Examiner's office.
Up to 21 inches of snow fell in northeast Oklahoma and widespread reports of 6-12 inches over much of the state.
A new all-time 24-hour record of 27 inches of snow fell in Spavinaw between February 8-9. The temperature plummeted to a never before seen low of -31 degrees at the Nowata Mesonet site. Mother Nature brought a swift and steady warm up through the next seven days, culminating in a 110-degree temperature swing at Nowata in a week's time.
Destruction of a significant portion of the state's wheat crop was well underway at this time as the drought continued to intensify.
March:The month ended as the 31st warmest and 8th driest since 1895. Drought continued to intensify.
Wildfires included on March 11 there were reports 15 people were injured in fires, according to The Oklahoma State Department of Health. On March 11 more than 42 fires were reported statewide, according to reports from Oklahoma Forestry.
Preliminary damage assessments received from the American Red Cross and local emergency managers, included 30 homes destroyed in Oklahoma County alone.
April:The month brought the most tornadoes,50,in April since accurate records began in 1950.The previous record was 40 back in 1957.
Two people were killed by an EF3 tornado that struck Tushka in Atoka County on April 14.
Ponca City reported a 94 mph wind gust on April 8 to go along with more than a half dozen instances of softball size hail during the month. There was flooding in the eastern half of the state.
The drought continued to intensify.
By the evening of April 3, the state Emergency Operations Center was aware of more than 100 fires burning across the state.
On April 6, the state Emergency Operations Center was working with the Oklahoma National Guard to provide aerial fire suppression via Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters equipped with buckets. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is assisting with traffic control. Oklahoma Forestry Services is providing ground firefighting equipment.
May:Tornadoes, including an EF5 tornado, ravaged the state during May. And yes, the drought continued to intensify. The 46 twisters during May killed 11, including nine by the EF5 that traveled from near Hinton to Guthrie on May 24.
Two EF3s, two EF4s and the EF5 all struck on May 24th.
On May 23, a storm near Gotebo dropped a 6-inch diameter hailstone, a new statewide record in that category,
The drought raged on in the west.
June, July and August:This was the hottest summer in terms of statewide average for any state since records began in 1895 with a statewide average of 86.8 degrees. Early reports showed Texas with the hottest summer, but the National Climatic Data Center continued to study information. Not only did Oklahoma beat its own record for the previous hottest summer of 85.2 degrees from 1934, it destroyed it by 1.6 degrees. In fact, Oklahoma now owns five of the 10 (11 with a tie) hottest summers across the U.S. since records in 1895.
The statewide record was broken for the most triple digit days. The previous record for most days at or above 100 degrees for a single location in the state was 86, set at Hollis back in 1956. Grandfield had 101 days.
July's statewide average temperature for Oklahoma was 89.3 degrees. The previous hottest July in state history was 88.1 degrees back in 1954. The 88.1 degrees in 1954 had also been the hottest month in any state back to 1895, until this July in Oklahoma.
In this span there were numerous wildfires with 15 resulting in Fire Management Assistance Grants, according to state Emergency Management Department.
September:The drought was at its zenith and then quickly received some relief from the heat. Nearly 70 percent of the state was covered by the exceptional drought category by early September, and 85 percent was extreme/exceptional. The sun, heat and lack of precipitation had taken its toll for three very long months.
The statewide average temperature for September was 1.4 degrees below normal and the 32nd coolest since 1895. Ft. Supply reached a low of 37 degrees on Sept. 6. The month was also the 20th driest on record at 2.15 inches below normal.
October:Some drought relief came for central and northeastern Oklahoma. The Panhandle even saw a bit of snow late in the month.
November:There was a 4.7-magnitude earthquake at 2:12 a.m. Nov. 5 northwest of Prague,
Then later on Nov. 5, there was a 5.6-magnitude quake. The epicenter was northwest of Prague. The 5.6 earthquake broke the state's previous record for strongest recorded earthquake – 5.5 magnitude in El Reno in 1952, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Another earthquake, registered at 4.7 magnitude, was centered in Lincoln County on Nov. 7. The epicenter was about five miles northwest of Prague.
Welcome to November 2011, the May of Autumn. There was flooding, and some tornadoes, including an EF4 grinder on Nov. 7 that tore through the Tipton area. It was the first violent tornado, EF4/EF5 in November on officials records for tornadoes in Oklahoma, dating back to 1950.
There are now 10 tornadoes confirmed for November, bringing the annual total to date, to 114 for 2011, topping the 107 in 1957 for second place. The most was 145 in 1999.

NEWS - 3.7 EARTHQUAKE RECORDED NEAR PRAGUE OKLAHOMA

3.7 earthquake recorded near Prague

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded an earthquake that struck near Prague Thursday afternoon.

 

FROM STAFF REPORTS    

Published: November 24, 2011

A 3.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded near Prague Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake struck 5 miles northwest of Prague about 3:11 p.m. Thursday. Its epicenter was 7 miles from Sparks and 45 miles away from Oklahoma City.

NEWS - CREATOR OF UK DANGERMOUSE CARTOON DIES

Creator of UK DangerMouse cartoon dies

AP – Fri, Nov 18, 2011

 

LONDON (AP) — Mark Hall, who created much loved British children's animations including DangerMouse and Jamie and his Magic Torch, has died. He was 75.

His son Simon Hall said Friday his father died overnight in his family home in the northern city of Manchester after a short illness.

Hall worked closely with his college friend Brian Cosgrove. the two met at Manchester's Regional College of Art in the 1950s and worked as graphic designers for the television channel Granada TV in the 1960s. They formed their own animation company Cosgrove Hall Productions in 1976 and went on to create a series of magical, often surreal cartoons.

Their best known creation was "DangerMouse" — a cartoon secret agent mouse that first appeared on television in the 1980s with his sidekick hamster Penfold. The show attracted 19 million viewers at its peak.

They also created "Jamie and his Magic Torch" cartoons about a boy whose torch takes him to fantasy lands after bedtime. They also produced an animated version of Kenneth Grahame's book "Wind in the Willows," about riverside animals including Rat, Mole and Toad of Toad Hall.

Hall and Cosgrove retired in 2000, but had recently reformed their animation company under the name Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick Entertainment and had planned to produce new animation.

"Mark was one of life's real gentlemen and it's wonderful he got to see his company reborn," said Adrian Wilkins, who is operations director at Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick Entertainment. Wilkins said Hall's son Simon will continue his father's work.

Hall is survived by his wife and two children.

NEWS - 5 RARE TORTOISES BORN AT RIVERBANKS ZOO (South Carolina)

5 rare tortoises born at Riverbanks Zoo

 

By JOEY HOLLEMAN

It’s hard to imagine something as large, old and slow-moving as a Galapagos tortoise being stealthy, but one female at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden managed to bury a clutch of eggs several months ago without her keepers noticing.
Kathy Vause, a senior reptile keeper, got a surprise when she went into the tortoise exhibit early Tuesday and discovered four recently hatched babies in a buried nest. A more precocious fifth hatchling was found short while later, already having ventured out into the exhibit.
“It was early and no one else was around,” Vause said. “I called (curator of herpetology) Scott (Pfaff) on his cellphone, and he couldn’t tell what I was screaming about.”

These are the first successful Galapagos hatches ever at Riverbanks and the first babies from two Santa Cruz tortoise parents ever in a U.S. zoo.
The tortoises on each of the islands in the Galapagos chain — including the island of Santa Cruz — are considered separate species. Until about 15 years ago, the various island species were mingled in U.S. zoos, creating many hybrid babies. Both the Riverbanks mother, Alberta, and the father, Abrazzo, have had offspring with non-Santa Cruz tortoises at other zoos before coming to Riverbanks in 1995.
“We had been hoping for this for some time but knew the tortoise’s age could definitely be a factor with fertility,” Pfaff said. “These hatchlings are of great importance, representing a significant addition to the captive population of Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoises.”
The species is considered to be endangered, with about 10,000 to 15,000 tortoises living on the Galapagos.
The hatchlings look much like their giant parents, only they’re small enough to fit in the palm of a human hand. The babies aren’t yet on public display. They’re being kept in a nursery while zoo officials discuss plans for a public display.
The tortoises can live up to 200 years and reach up to 900 pounds. Alberta, who arrived in the U.S. in 1951, and Abrazzo, who was brought to the U.S. in 1928, are thought to be more than 100 years old.
Keepers can’t be 100 percent sure of the parentage of the hatchlings, but the zoo’s other female, Conchita, hasn’t laid eggs in recent years, The other Riverbanks male, Bravo, seldom mates with Alberta. Frequent visitors to the zoo probably have seen Alberta and Abrazzo mate. They aren’t exactly shy about it.
Alberta had dug out a nest and laid eggs several times in recent years, but they all had been infertile. Her routine was to lay the eggs on a hill in the exhibit, usually in late afternoon during the spring. That’s when keepers kept an eye out for nest-building, Vause said.
Vause theorizes that this time Alberta laid the eggs later in the year, when the tortoises are allowed to roam their enclosure after dark. She covered up the nest well and did a good job of keeping it secret during the incubation period of three to six months. Only recently had Alberta started hinting something had happened.
“She started acting like she wanted to lay eggs this past week,” Vause said. “We’d have to urge her into the house at night.”
Vause decided to check Tuesday to see if Alberta recently had laid eggs. Instead of eggs, she found hatchlings ready to roll.
“She snuck them in on us,” Vause said.

NEWS - NEW QUARTER TO FEATURE OKLAHOMA RECREATION AREA

New quarter to feature Oklahoma recreation area

SULPHUR — Gov. Mary Fallin says a new quarter will be released by the U.S. Mint that features a southern Oklahoma recreation area.

 

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS  

Published: November 16, 2011

SULPHUR — Gov. Mary Fallin says a new quarter will be released by the U.S. Mint that features a southern Oklahoma recreation area.
A ceremony launching the Chickasaw National Recreation Area Quarter will be held Wednesday in Sulphur.
The quarter marks the 10th release of the America the Beautiful Quarter Series, a program honoring the United States' national parks and sites.
According to the National Parks Service, the 10,000-acre Chickasaw National Recreation Area was originally authorized in 1902 as Sulphur Springs Reservation and was renamed and redesignated as Platt National Park in 1906.
In 1976, Platt National Park, Arbuckle Recreation Area, and additional lands were combined to establish the Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

NEWS - BIG QUAKE FOLLOWS INCREASE IN OKLAHOMA RUMBLINGS

Big quake follows increase in Oklahoma rumblings

By JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS - Associated Press
 

SPARKS, Okla. (AP) — Clouds of dust belched from the corners of almost every room in Joe Reneau's house as the biggest earthquake in Oklahoma history rocked the two-story building.

A roar that sounded like a jumbo jet filled the air, and Reneau's red-brick chimney collapsed and fell into the roof above the living room. By the time the shaking stopped, a pantry worth of food had been strewn across the kitchen and shards of glass and pottery covered the floor.

"It was like WHAM!" said Reneau, 75, gesturing with swipes of his arms. "I thought in my mind the house would stand, but then again, maybe not."

The magnitude 5.6 earthquake and its aftershocks still had residents rattled Sunday.

Two minor injuries were reported from Saturday's quakes by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, which said neither person was hospitalized. And, aside from a buckled highway and the collapse of a tower on the St. Gregory's University administration building in Shawnee, no major damage was reported.

But the weekend earthquakes were among the strongest yet in a state that has seen a dramatic, unexplained increase in seismic activity.

Oklahoma typically had about 50 earthquakes a year until 2009. Then the number spiked, and 1,047 quakes shook the state last year, prompting researchers to install seismographs in the area. Still, most of the earthquakes have been small. (1047 QUAKES!!!!!!!!, none of which i felt!)
Saturday night's big one jolted Oklahoma State University's stadium shortly after the No. 3 Cowboys defeated No. 17 Kansas State. Fans were still leaving the game.
"That shook up the place, had a lot of people nervous," Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon said.
The temblor sent Jesse Richards' wife running outside because she thought their home was going to collapse. The earthquake centered near their home in Sparks, 44 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, could be felt throughout the state and in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, northern Texas and some parts of Illinois and Wisconsin.
Richards estimated it lasted for as much as a minute. One of his wife's cookie jars fell on the floor and shattered, and pictures hanging in their living room were knocked askew.
"We've been here 18 years, and it's getting to be a regular occurrence," said Richards, 50. But, he added, "I hope I never get used to them."
Geologists now believe a magnitude 4.7 earthquake Saturday morning was a foreshock to the bigger one that followed that night. They recorded at least 10 aftershocks by midmorning Sunday and expected more. Two of the aftershocks, at 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., were big, magnitude 4.0.
"We will definitely continue to see aftershocks, as we've already seen aftershocks from this one," said Paul Earle, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo. "We will see aftershocks in the days and weeks to come, possibly even months."

Brad Collins, the spokesman for St. Gregory's University in Shawnee, said one of the four towers on its "castle-looking" administration building collapsed in the big earthquake and the other three towers were damaged. He estimated the towers were about 25 feet tall.

"We definitely felt it," Collins said. "I was at home, getting ready for bed and it felt like the house was going to collapse. I tried to get back to my kids' room and it was tough to keep my balance, I could hardly walk."

Scientists are puzzled by the recent seismic activity. It appeared the latest quake occurred on the Wilzetta fault, but researchers may never know for sure. Earthquakes that hit east of the Rocky Mountains are harder to pinpoint because the fault systems are not as well studied as major faults like the San Andreas in California.

Arkansas also has seen a big increase in earthquake activity, which residents have blamed on injection wells. Natural gas companies engaged in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, use fluid to break apart shale and rock to release natural gas. Injection wells then dispose of the fluid by injecting it back into the ground.

There are 181 injection wells in the Oklahoma county where most of the weekend earthquakes happened, said Matt Skinner, spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which oversees oil and gas production in the state and intrastate transportation pipelines.

But natural gas companies claim there is no proof of a connection between injection wells and earthquakes, and a study released earlier this year by an Oklahoma Geological Survey seismologist seems to back that up. It found most of the state's seismic activity didn't appear to be tied to the wells, although more investigation was needed.

"It's a real mystery," seismologist Austin Holland of the Oklahoma Geological Survey said of the recent shaking.

"At this point, there's no reason to think that the earthquakes would be caused by anything other than natural" shifts in the Earth's crust, Holland said.

Earle said he couldn't comment on the relationship between fracking, injection wells and earthquakes.

Most Oklahoma residents still see earthquakes as anomalies in a state more often damaged by tornadoes. Roger Baker, 52, laughed at the idea of buying earthquake insurance, although the weekend quakes left a 6-foot-long crack several inches deep his yard in Sparks.

"It's just a part of life," he said.

Prague resident Mark Treat, 52, was at the Dollar General store Sunday, buying paper towels in bulk, garbage bins and a broom and mop to begin cleaning up his home. He said the quake hit hard enough to knock dishes, lamps and a TV to the ground and overturn a chest of drawers.

"It busted up a lot of stuff," Treat said. "I can't believe is only was a 5.6."

one of the comments was this:

This same thing happened in 1811, small quakes preceding three large quakes of 7.7, 7.5 and 7.6 in January and February of 1812. Maybe no coincidence, but something to think about. One of those quakes made the Mississippi run backwards for awhile!

hmm, pause for concern? maybe...who knows? 

NEWS -EARTHQUAKE, AFTERSHOCKS FELT ACROSS OKLAOMA REGION

Earthquake, aftershocks felt across Oklahoma, region

Multiple earthquakes shook much of central Oklahoma early Saturday, rousing people from their sleep. It was felt as far away as Pleasant Hill, Mo.

FROM STAFF REPORTS    

Published: November 5, 2011

A 4.7 magnitude earthquake rattled homes across central Oklahoma early Saturday.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the initial quake was centered about six miles north of Prague about 2:12 a.m.
That quake was followed by a series of aftershocks. A 3.4 magnitude aftershock was felt moments later followed by another 2.7 magnitude aftershock about five miles southeast of Sparks. Sparks is east of the metro area in Lincoln County.
And those aftershocks continued as a 3.6 magnitude quake struck about 8:36 a.m., also centered about two miles southeast of Sparks.
The National Weather Service in Norman said via its Facebook page the earthquake was felt in Norman and also as far away as weather offices in Topeka, Kan., and Pleasant Hill, Mo.
There have been no reports of significant damage caused by the quake. According to OG&E's System Watch webpage it did not cause power outages anywhere in that company's coverage area across the state. Oklahoma Natural Gas is not reporting any gas leaks or service outages.
Tom Foster was awakened in his southwest Oklahoma City home by what he believes was an aftershock.
"It was a little later than what they say was the initial quake so I think I felt one of the aftershocks," he said. "The bigger quake didn't wake me up. But I know we've already had several phone calls from out of state relatives wondering what happened. I guess it's more interesting than anything that was dangerous."
Heather Spicer of Sapulpa said the quake woke her son and dog up.
"At first I thought and airplane had crashed nearby," she said. "But now I believe it was an earthquake because the whole house just kept vibrating with what sounded like distant thunder outside."
Matt Hoover of Perkins was wrapping birthday presents at 2:20 a.m. when he felt the quake. He thought the experience, his first with a quake, was exciting.
"The whole house started to shake and a low rumble could be heard throughout the house," he said. "It lasted about 20 seconds."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

yup, its true, we FELT this one..weve had reporst the entire time weve lived here of earthquakes, and may have heard a "pop" or a "bump" sound and that was all, but THIS one we felt, and we felt it good.

craig was in the bathroom, daniel was playing a game in the livingroom, and i was right here at my PC when i heard, what i thought was allot of movement and sound from my livingroom, like  rough housing. i was about to ask daniel what the heck he was doing when the floor started to roll...my chair was rolling in circles, and the windows were ratteling, and the house shook for a good 90 seconds..

just after it subsided. craig ran into the doorframe looking at me, asking "DID YOU FEEL THAT EARTHQUAKE?!?!?!" 

umm, yes, the house felt it..lol

then right behind him was daniel running in the same doorway, looking at me saying " WAS THAT AN EARTHQUAKE?!?!?!"

yes...lol

for whatever reason, it didnt concern, me, it was exciting, and different and memorable..and to some degree, fun.

im sure because no harm nor damage was done..but still. i had NO concernes whatso ever when it hit...i just  rode it through..

just as it was hitting and right behind it facebook was all a buzz with connections and status updates and thoughts about it..

it was amazing, to me...

 took a screen print shot of the page the report for the quake was on.

and one 24 hours later (roughly, to show all the aftershocks)

my home location, in realtation to the epicenter of this big earthquake

some humor

MICHELLE

NEWS - RAILROADING MERIT BADGES TO BE EARNED THIS WEEKEND

Railroading Merit Badges to be earned this weekend

		Thursday, November 03, 2011
Hundreds of Boy Scouts this weekend will spend a busy and fun-filled time at the North Carolina Transportation Museum earning their Railroading Merit Badges during Rail Camp, Nov. 4-6. Troops will spend Friday through Sunday at the museum, the site of the former Southern Railway Spencer Shops steam locomotive repair facility. This year the museum will host a record number of scouts—460, including troop leaders, from 23 troops. Most of the attending troops are from North Carolina, from as close by as Salisbury, Concord, and Lexington, but the cities of Greer, Spartanburg, Simpsonville, and Tega Cay will represent South Carolina. There one troop from Alta Vista, Va. Scouts attending Rail Camp will earn their Railroading Merit Badge with the completion of several activities. After a scavenger hunt, the afternoon will be dedicated to learning how a diesel-electric locomotive works, how to identify different types of railcars, the importance of railroad signals, and railroad safety. Troops will also learn about modern railroad companies and how to plan a trip by rail. Brian Moffitt, Educational Programming Coordinator at the N.C. Transportation Museum, heads up the event. Moffitt became an Eagle Scout in 1991, before the museum began offering such a program. “This is an experience I was never able to have, and it’s great to offer it to others who might also become Eagle Scouts some day,” he says Moffitt. As for the rising numbers of troops attending the event each year, Moffitt attributes word of mouth among troop leaders. “Local councils and districts find out about what we do from the troops who have attended,” he says. “They enjoy their experience and are more than willing to share.” The North Carolina Transportation Museum is part of the Division of Historic Sites and the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, which annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council, and the State Archives.

NEWS - PRO SURFER RIDES OF CONTROVERSY AFTER HE POSTS PICTURE OF HIMSELF ON THE BACK OF A SEA TURTLE

Pro-surfer rides a wave of controversy after he posts picture of himself on the back of a sea turtle

By Daily Mail Reporter
3rd November 2011

Riding on the back of a sea turtle may look like a lot of fun for the fish in Finding Nemo but the move has dragged one pro-surfer into a serious amount of trouble after his misguided attempt to highlight a deadly illness in the endangered species. 
Jamie O'Brien, 28, posted the underwater picture, which appears to have been taken by a professional photographer, onto the Facebook page of local TV station Hawaii News Now on October 30.  
Mr O'Brien from Oahu, Hawaii, added a message saying he was worried about the spread of fibropapillomatosis, a 'herpes-style virus' among sea turtles. The epidemic causes a breakout of benign tumours that makes it difficult for the creatures to move, breathe and can result in death. 

Mr O'Brien writes: 'Fibropapilloma tumors are starting to show up on other sea turtle species in increasing numbers!
'If the same pattern of infection occurs as was seen with green turtles, it will not be long before FP outstrips even homo sapiens as the single greatest threat to marine turtles.'
Surfers in the area believe that the photo was taken off Oahu's north shore.
The backlash against Mr O'Brien's crusade started when it appeared that he had broken both state and federal laws with the stunt.According to the Federal Endangered Species Act, the fine for harassing a sea turtle can be as much as $13,200.
Wende Goo, at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Honolulu told MailOnline today: 'He is under investigation by law enforcement.'
Representatives of Mr O'Brien's at sponsors Etnies and and Body Glove were unavailable for comment when contacted today.
Calls to photographer Brent Bielmann, who is thought to have taken the underwater, shot also went unanswered today.
While there’s no legal limit on how far away you should stay away from sea turtles (as there are with whales), the Division of Aquatic Resources website states that 'getting close to these animals may constitute a federal or state violation if the animal is disturbed or if your action has the potential to disturb its natural behavioral patterns'.
There is also Hawaiian culture to consider where the sea turtle is sacred.
Traditional belief on the islands tells of a green turtle Kauila who could change herself into a girl to watch over children playing at Punalu'u Beach.
Where Kauila's mother dug her nest, a fresh well of water sprung up to quench children's thirst.  It is also said that the turtles were guides for the first voyagers to Hawaii.

In Disney's hit film Finding Nemo, a clownfish called Marlin searches for his son after he is captured by a scuba diver with the help of a sea turtle.
On the journey, Marlin encounters a Crush, surf-cultured turtle, who takes them on the East Australian Current.
While in the current, Marlin reluctantly shares the details of his journey with a group of young sea turtles and his story spreads rapidly word-of-mouth through the ocean and eventually reaches Sydney - and Nemo.

All sea turtles that live in U.S. waters are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and are under the joint jurisdiction of NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
There are several threats facing the endangered species including destruction of their habitats, commerical fishing and entanglement in marine debris.
Marine reserves and beaches in Hawaii are covered in signs against disturbing marine life and the reefs.

HUMOR - TURTLE INCIDENT

Turtle Accident
Two snails were standing on the side of the road, a turtle stopped and said, "Do you guys want a ride on my back"?

One of the snails took him up on his offer and off he went.

As the turtle reached the intersection another turtle came along and crashed into him. The poor little snail was thrown and killed. A cop investigating the accident began questioning the dead snail's buddy. "What happened?" he asked.

The little snail replied, "I don't know it all happened so fast."

NEWS - RARE 2-HEADED ALBINO MILK SNAKE BORN IN FLORIDA

Rare 2-Headed Albino Milk Snake Born In Florida
UCF Biologist Tells Orlando TV Station Snake Hatched Last Week
November 1, 2011
RIDGE MANOR, Fla. -- A University of Central Florida biologist says a rare, two-headed albino milk snake was recently born.Daniel Parker told Orlando television station WKMG the snake hatched last week in an incubation container.Parker said most two-headed snakes have typical coloration. Albino snakes don't have dark pigmentation in their skin. Albino milk snakes appear in bright shades of red, orange and white.The biologist says two-headed snakes have been documented to live as long as 20 years in captivity.

But with two brains giving commands to a single body, Parker says the snake would have a difficult time surviving in the wild.