He said on his blog that he was posing for the photo when a sea turtle came up for a breath of air at just the right moment.

The island, according to de Jesus is "one of the world's best known community-managed Marine Protected Area[s]."

De Jesus has been contacted by multiple media outlets on his blog for interviews and to confirm the photo is real.  He told an NBC News producer in the comments that "the photo is authentic, just like the turtle."

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Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC