The creature was spotted and recorded in the Mississippi River, but authorities assured the public that there was no need to worry.
What would you have done if you saw this gigantic beast in the water, just a few meters away from you?
Keep reading to find out how this woman reacted and why she never expected her story to become so popular.
Shala Holm is from Buffalo, Minnesota. Shala encountered a massive turtle months ago, but only recently has her photo gone viral.
The picture shows a turtle with its large claws reaching into a net full of fish, with its Godzilla-esque head leading the way. It’s clear to see that this turtle is larger than most.
Last summer, Shala was on her annual vacation with her family at Niemeyer’s Rugged River Resort near Brainerd. Holm was in a tandem kayak with her daughter when they first saw the animal.
“I hear something breathing”
“Suddenly my daughter said, ‘Mom, be quiet. I hear something breathing,’ Holm recounted.
When Holm turned to look towards the shore, she was shocked to see the turtle’s nose moving towards the fish basket hanging from their kayak.
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“It was almost reaching for it,” she said. “It was so big, we were so startled.”
To scare off the turtle, Holm shook the basket until the animal swam away.
Curious if they could find it again to take a photo, mother and daughter returned the next day. They fished until the turtle reappeared.
“One of the nice things about a kayak is that you’re very close to the water,” Holm said. “We were really close.”
A giant turtle
Mother and daughter weren’t sure of the exact size of the reptile, but they were practically convinced it was a turtle and that the legs were about the same size as Holm’s wrists.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, adult turtles are typically 20 to 35 inches long and weigh 10 to 35 pounds. The largest turtle registered in Minnesota weighed an impressive 65 pounds!
Shala sent the photo to the DNR for more information. They thought the turtle was at least 15 years old, maybe even 30.
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Shala’s photo went viral after the resort owners decided to post it on their Facebook page. Corby and Sheila Niemeyer, the resort owners, saw the post being shared thousands of times and receiving nearly a thousand comments. Sheila has even been approached by media interested in the story.
“Most are saying, is this real?” she said. “It is real.”
The resort is located in a quiet part of the Mississippi River north of Brainerd where a variety of local wildlife is often seen.
“Every year in June, lots of turtles come to shore to lay their eggs,” the owner said. “One of the things we love at the resort are watching turtles. So it was pretty amazing to see one so big.”
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While many Facebook users have commented on staying out of the water, Sheila explained that it’s not as dangerous as it seems.
Not dangerous?
“I think if you really look at any lake or river, you’re going to find all sorts of things that you never thought about,” she said. “They leave you alone. They don’t want anything to do with you.”
Sheila even hopes that the post’s popularity will help bring more guests to their resort.
“I hope it’s not something negative where they’re thinking, ‘Oh no, I’ll never go there. I don’t want to swim with that,'” she said. “For the most part, I don’t think you have to worry about it. But seeing the animals in their habitat is just amazing.”
According to Erica Hoaglund, regional nongame wildlife specialist at the Minnesota DNR (in an email), snapping turtles are often misunderstood because they look “scary” and react defensively when they feel threatened. She assured that they are not dangerous.
They are most peaceful in the water and often try to appear more intimidating on land, where they feel more vulnerable. While they’ll defend themselves out of fear, they will never attack.
“They just want to avoid being found, they’ll hide and flee if given the chance,” Hoaglund said.
Holm, the original witness of the large turtle in question, has shown no fear. In fact, she has stated that she plans to return to the resort to find her old friend.
What do you think? Would you swim in that river? Let us know in the comments!
