We Almost Missed It

Matt and me on Zakynthos, Greece.

I’m sitting with Matt in a yellow pedal boat, and we have just shoved off into the sea. We are pedaling and sort of laughing at our situation and how different this looks from what we were expecting that morning. As we mosey through the water, pedaling like we’re riding bicycles, I am reminded of being a little kid with my brother, pedaling a little orange boat through the water in Waikiki.

We navigate through the crowded, buoyed waters separating boats from swimmers, racing toward a cluster of more serious, adult-looking boats whose passengers are apparently looking at sea turtles. We are pedaling as fast as we can, Matt skillfully moving the archaic little stick attached to the rudder at the rear of the boat, which clunkily turns us from side to side as we avoid other boats and paddleboards. Just as we get within 100 feet or so of the cluster of boats and would-be turtles, we see the people who were hanging over the sides stand up and sit back down. The boats start their motors and begin trailing off toward deeper water.

“Darn! We missed it, Matt! We missed the turtles,” I say.

“It’s okay, we have three whole hours with this boat. I’m sure we will see plenty of turtles,” Matt says.

The entire goal for the day is to see the very special wild loggerhead turtles living in Laganas Bay on the Greek island of Zakynthos. The bay is significant for these turtles because it is one of their main breeding areas in the Mediterranean. Females born on these beaches swim off for thousands of miles and spend decades adulting, avoiding predators, and living their adventures until they eventually return to the same region where they were born to lay their own eggs. This incredible cycle has been happening for countless generations. Loggerhead turtles are considered threatened globally, and many conservation efforts are in place to preserve their breeding grounds.

Unfortunately, Matt and I did not know we needed to reserve a kayak or paddleboard in advance, and we had already rented motorboats twice during our time in Greece and didn’t want to do that again. We really thought we would have zero problem finding kayaks or paddleboards, but after combing the area and trying a lot of different places, we found nothing.

We were determined to see these turtles. I especially wanted to see them because turtles from my homeland seemed very special to me, considering their migration and breeding patterns. I paint turtles and have seen them in the wild in Mexico, which was very special, but seeing them in Greece would be even more meaningful. Matt was just as determined because he had never seen a sea turtle in real life and was very excited for the opportunity.

We parked near Laganas Bay and started searching there for kayaks and paddleboards. We found a rental place right on the bay, but the man only had pedal boats left. One had a slide for kids, and the other didn’t. Both were bright school-bus yellow. We asked if he had any kayaks or paddleboards left, and he laughed and said, “You are very late. You will not find any by now. You are lucky I still have these pedal boats.” We decided to rent the one without the slide. It was big, bulky, and very slow, but it was our only chance to go see the turtles.

Our school-bus yellow pedal boat.

“What are the chances that we will actually get to see any turtles?” I asked the man.

“100%. You will for sure see many turtles.” He pointed out at the bay and said, “They are everywhere. You can’t miss them.”

I remembered his words as we missed our first chance to catch the turtles before they swam away. I was happy and excited that so soon into our adventure there had already been a possible turtle sighting, so we weren’t too disheartened that we couldn’t get our boat there fast enough.

By now we were pretty far out and getting hot from all the pedaling and lack of shade. We jumped in for a swim and used our masks and snorkels to look around and see what we could find. To our disappointment, underwater looked pretty similar to above the water. It was about 30 feet deep, and there was no life of any kind anywhere. From above, you could see all the way to the bottom because the water was so perfectly clear.

Jumping in for a look around.

We got back onto our boat and pedaled up and down the edge of the bay in the special area we were allowed to explore. We had to stay outside the buoys that protected the swimmers but inside the buoys that marked the area for motorized or larger boats. We felt pretty certain we would still find turtles because this was where all the kayaks and paddleboards were, and that seemed to be the preferred way to find them. We saw many groups and their guides pass us by but were too slow in our clunky pedal boat to follow.

Matt and I started discussing our anxiety about seeing turtles or not seeing them, and our frustration over not having the right watercraft for the adventure. We decided we would just pray and ask God to allow us to see the turtles, and then committed to relaxing and trusting Him for it.

I told Matt the story of when I was on an art retreat in Mexico and we took a boat tour to see whales. After a few hours, one lady who was with us kept saying out loud, “I don’t think we will see whales. We should have seen them by now. Just my luck, I won’t see any.” I told Matt how frustrated I was getting because what you say is what you get, and I kept telling the lady, “We absolutely WILL see whales! I’m sure of it!” She kept saying we wouldn’t, and I kept saying we would. Finally, in the last few minutes of the tour, when even I was starting to give up hope, we saw a mama and baby whale flip their tails, breach, and jump. We had a close-up display, and God saved the very best show just for us in the final moments.

Matt said, “I’m absolutely sure we will see turtles.”

I agreed. We hung out on our silly yellow boat and laughed, told stories, and jumped in and out for swimming. We continued to explore the bay and look for turtles. We had so much fun and saw all kinds of fish, including one type that was huge and had black stripes all over them. We lost track of time and were pretty far out when we realized we had to be back in ten minutes to return the boat.

Exploring Laganas Bay.

My heart sank! We hadn’t seen any turtles. “Matt, we better hurry and pedal back to the rental place. And I’m gonna be sure to tell that guy that we 100% did NOT see any turtles.”

Matt said, “Hey, the trip’s not over. We have the whole way back to find some, AND we prayed, and I’m sure God will make it happen.”

I wasn’t so sure about that, but kept my discouragement to myself.

We pedaled and pedaled as quickly as possible so we wouldn’t be late and get charged extra. I really wanted to cry. I was so upset. Sure, it had been a fun day, but the whole point of all of this was to see turtles. I wanted to see a Greek turtle! Only a tiny fraction of hatchlings make it to adulthood, so for me, every turtle is a living miracle, and I wanted to see a Greek miracle that had returned to this bay, where turtles have been laying their eggs since ancient times. I was heartsick that I would miss out. I wanted Matt to see his first wild sea turtle, and I felt crushed that he would miss it too. There must be a reason God didn’t want to answer our prayer. I felt so confused.

We could see the rental place not too far away and had made good time with our vigorous pedaling. We were only about 100 feet from the beach when we saw two motorboats close to each other, with all the tourists hanging over the sides taking pictures. Turtles!!! Matt saw them before I did and was already turning the rudder. We were only about 30 feet from the boats and could probably actually get there!

My legs were burning from all the fast pedaling, but I got a second wind for these turtles. We pulled up right beside the boats, and the tourists started yelling at us, telling us we couldn’t be there. Then I saw two turtles swimming all around the boats, going underwater and then surfacing again. I grabbed my phone and started snapping pictures. I didn’t even realize that Matt was already in the water with his mask. I completely ignored the tourists who claimed we didn’t belong there with our silly yellow boat.

Of course we could be there! Just because they had a motor and a guide didn’t mean we didn’t have an equal right to see the turtles. After only 30 to 45 seconds, the turtles were gone. They had swum away, and the boats raced off to follow them. I was alone on the boat and saw Matt swimming several feet away. He popped his head up and yelled, “Babe! We saw turtles!!!! I knew God would come through for us!”

“I know! I can’t believe it!” I was truly grateful, even though it had lasted less than a minute. I just hoped my pictures had come out clear.

One of the first two turtles.

Matt kept swimming and looking underwater with his mask. I thought for sure we were past our return time and would get charged another hour. What is he doing? I was waiting for his head to pop up so I could tell him to get back in the boat.

Then suddenly, he started waving his hand out of the water for me to come over, without even popping his head up. I pedaled over to him. He quickly surfaced and said, “Get in here, there’s another turtle!”

I quickly put my mask on and jumped in. I swam over to Matt, and he pointed to the seafloor below. There was a perfect specimen of a single turtle just resting and hanging out. She wasn’t swimming or moving much, just relaxing as if she were there solely for Matt and me. We took turns taking videos and pictures, swimming all around her and even close to her, but she didn’t swim away. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Neither of us touched her, but we were close enough that we could have. This was a completely private viewing for just Matt and me, at the very last minute!

Our resting turtle.

As we pedaled back 20 minutes late, Matt and I celebrated. We were talking over each other about how amazing it was, how exciting, and how we couldn’t believe what we had just witnessed, while all the swimmers, boaters, paddleboarders, and kayakers around us were completely unaware. We were so happy and grateful.

What amazed me and moved me deeply was that we had already been so grateful, relieved, and thankful that God provided that one quick sighting of the two turtles. This was huge! To be able to see them in the very last moment was such a blessing. The last thing I expected was the private, lavish, generous viewing of the resting turtle. It was truly just for us!

God is never late. But beyond that, He will not only give us what we want and ask for, but sometimes He exceeds our expectations so extravagantly that what we initially thought was the blessing turns out to be only a taste of what He had prepared.

We didn’t have to fight for the better experience. There weren’t any tourists making claims to the discovery. We didn’t have to chase the turtle. We didn’t even know she was there. The greater blessing was waiting quietly beneath us while we were distracted by the smaller one.

We had been so worried about returning the boat on time, until this incredible experience presented itself to us. Then all time frames, deadlines, and limits disappeared. They no longer mattered. We didn’t care that we had to pay 10 euros more. God even showed us the beautiful truth that these self-imposed limits are often completely meaningless. What we think is most important sometimes isn’t important at all in light of such an extraordinary blessing.

If you have been waiting, disappointed, or settled for less, if you have watched others around you receive what you have longed for, take heart, hold fast, and believe. There is unexpected abundance for us. For all of us who have waited for love, a breakthrough, or the fulfillment of a dream, don’t give up because you think you’ve run out of time. God is never late, and what He has prepared may be far more extravagant than anything you expected.