Turtle Resting on Sandy Seabed, Turquoise Water

A sea turtle is seen from directly above, lying on a pale, rippled seabed. Its shell is a dark olive-brown, with the large scutes outlined in a faint mosaic. The head points left and the flippers are spread out to either side, so the animal looks flat against the sand. The water is a uniform soft turquoise. The light is muted and slightly hazy, and the sand shows fine cracked-looking ripples that fade toward the edges. The mood is quiet and still. The turtle sits just off-centre, and the open space around it gives the frame a calm, spacious feel.

The species is the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas. It is named for the green tint of its body fat, not for its shell. Adults graze mainly on seagrass and algae, so they are often seen over shallow sandy flats and seagrass beds in tropical and subtropical seas. They surface to breathe, but can rest on the bottom for long periods between breaths. Females return to nesting beaches every few years, and the species is protected in much of its range. The cool, even tones and uncluttered composition suit a desktop or laptop screen, where icons sit easily over the open water. They also work on a phone held in landscape.

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