Photographer Chris van Wyk scored a viral hit with his photographs of a “punk” Mary River turtle covered in algae. The media attention he intentionally generated affected decisions related to preserving the habitat of this unique species.

The Mary River turtle breathes in a special way, earning it the nickname “respirator.” Image courtesy of Chris van Wyk

The now iconic Mary River turtle is just one of the many species endemic to the Mary River that flows in Queensland, Australia. This exceptional animal breathes underwater using specialized glands in its reproductive organs, allowing it to remain submerged for up to 72 hours, an unusual characteristic in a reptile, which earned it the name “respirator.” In 2009, the Queensland government made plans to dam the river at Traveston Crossing, effectively dividing the Mary River turtle’s natural range and destroying much of its prime breeding habitat.

The plans bothered Van Wyk, who was still learning photography for a while, so he decided to do something about it. He went down to the river and spent an entire day in the water dressed in a wetsuit, taking hundreds of terrifying images as his limbs turned numb and blue from the cold. But then he got lucky. Suddenly, he came across an animal with a head full of green algae “hair,” grown in a mohawk style. The perfect subject for a glamor photo of the turtle he planned to take so that viewers could identify with it and realize the importance of preserving the species.

Excited with the results, van Wyk shared the photos with local newspapers and social media with the intention of distributing them as widely as possible. He was then contacted by some of the activists fighting against the dam to use the images on postcards and posters to raise awareness. Finally, one of the photographs went viral.

Ultimately, the Queensland government’s decision to build the dam was overturned by federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett. The decision was published along with the viral photo. At least for some time, the species was saved.

Site of proposed Traveston Crossing dam: exactly the turtle’s habitat. Photo credit: Patrick McCully.

However, this was not the first time the Mary River turtle was saved from extinction. In the 1960s and 1970s, these animals were sold as “penny turtles” throughout Australia, without people really knowing where they came from. In fact, the species had not even been discovered by science or properly described, and was nearly extinct before that could happen. In addition to being sold as pets, decades of livestock grazing, logging and sand mining along the river banks had degraded water quality, endangering their habitat.

At last, Sydney-based reptile expert John Cann realized that the small turtle being sold as a Christmas present in New South Wales and Victoria was actually a species unknown to science. (In those days, the wildlife trade had its own flawed code of ethics and traders refused to provide details of their suppliers.) Cann became obsessed with identifying the species and for two decades tirelessly searched for its origins in hundreds of Australian river systems. and in Papua New Guinea.

Finally, in 1984 the Victorian government banned the sale of baby freshwater turtles with a shell length less than 100 mm, effectively stopping the capture and trade of Mary River turtles. This also meant that its origin no longer needed to be kept a secret from wildlife traders and John eventually tracked the species to the town of Maryborough, where the animal’s habitat can be found.

It was then that the turtle was first saved from extinction.

However, the battle over the Mary River Turtle continues. Although it has now been saved from the damaging effects of the dam, its future is by no means assured. There is much more to be done before we can safely say that the punk of the turtle world will survive.