Float with sea turtles in perfect tranquility in VR (Virtual Reality) - via Herp Digest

(Yes this is an advertisement, but if you want to swim attached to a sea turtle, next to a whale or dolphin, or any other eco-experience, which stresses the animal or in general harms the environment, (eco-tourism) I guess VR is the best way?

Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY NETWORK Published 2:27 p.m. ET Jan. 7, 2017

From the USA TODAY NETWORK and YouTube, it’s VRtually There, a weekly adventure with three cool VR experiences. USA TODAY NETWORK

Sea turtles aren’t just beautiful creatures – they’re history. Sea turtles have existed for 150 million years; to give you some perspective, dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago. And they’re worth keeping around for 150 million years more.

Enter VRtually There, a weekly video series from the USA TODAY network. Using some of the latest state-of-the-art virtual reality technology, they’re giving us a 360 degree first-hand view of the life of sea turtles off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands.

They float tranquilly in turquoise waters, but only one in 1,000 turtle hatchlings reaches adulthood. Of the seven species of sea turtles, six are now threatened or endangered, mostly due to human activity or habitat loss.

Check out the full video below, which also includes an Arizona canyoneering adventure with killer views. To get the epic 360 degree experience, download the USA TODAY app and search for the video in the “Virtual Reality” section, or view the video below in your phone’s YouTube app. Subscribe to VRtually There on YouTube for future episodes.