Fisherman Feeding a Sea Turtle

(Pardon the red tint on this pic-new underwater camera and I forgot to change the setting!)
During our first dive of trip we were treated to an amazing site at the Hol Chan Marine Park. A fisherman was cleaning the conch he caught. Several sea turtles were swimming around the boat, along with sharks and stingrays, to catch some of the scraps. We swam over and got to see him hand-feeding one turtle. The turtle climbed high up on the side of the boat to get the conch. As the turtle swam away, he nipped at one of the student's chest. Bitten by a sea turtle, it must be a first!

The Hol Chan Marine Park is a protected spot near the coral reef, about a mile off San Pedro. Nobody is allowed to fish there except a few fisherman who were fishing there before the park was formed. They retained their rights to continue to fish and clean their catch there. When they no longer fish, the permit expires, it cannot be passed on to other family members.  As a result of cleaning their fish in this area, fish, rays, turtles, and sharks stay close by and are spoiled by the remnants of the fisherman's catch.