(CNN) — That’s not a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” floating before your eyes. You’re seeing the first biofluorescent reptile discovered by scientists.
While filming small sharks and coral reefs in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, marine biologists had a stunning encounter with a “glowing” sea turtle.
Scientists captured footage of a hawkbill sea turtle emitting neon green and red light. The discovery was made in late July by David Gruber of the City University of New York and his team. The footage was released for the first time on Monday (September 28).
Gruber, an emerging explorer for National Geographic, described the turtle as an alien spaceship when he first saw it swimming in the water.
“It was absolutely gorgeous,” Gruber said in an interview with CNN. The turtle swam into the team’s lights while they were filming coral underwater. The turtle’s appearance was unexpected and took everyone by surprise, he said.
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