In December 2013 when word press posted this prompt I displayed one photo – that of a lone cyclist in Vietnam. On revisiting the prompt I am showing One among many.
© irene waters 2018
Standing on the edge of a swamp in Hervey Bay I quickly retreated when I saw what looked like a snout heading towards me. Crocodiles was my immediate thought. Then I saw oodles of these snout like projections and realised that the swamp was seething with turtles.
© irene waters 2018
On going closer I saw there was an odd man out. An eel was swimming amongst them.
© irene waters 2018
The turtles were in no way worried by his presence using his body for purchase to climb higher out of the water to get closer to me, a perceived purveyor of food.
© irene waters 2018
Naturally I was in my element as I watched it move about.
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
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About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
What an interesting relationship between these two species – I wonder what the turtles do for the eel?
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My guess is that there legs provide the odd meal.
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Maybe a little creepy, but definitely interesting. Interspecies relationships thriving.
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I think if I was a turtle I may be worried as eels are meat eaters but in this instance the eel did seem totally oblivious to the turtles using him to get up out of the water.
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I never tire of natural wonders. Thanks for sharing this spectacle from another environment!
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It was wonderful to see but I wondered at the turtles safety being in with an eel that size. They must all be well fed.
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Hmm, who eats whom?
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Sadly eels will eat the legs of turtles so I think these must be very well fed by passers by. They saw me and came en masse. I had no food but it looked like they had come to be fed. It was a suburban lagoon so there would have been people around.
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Oh! I had no idea!
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