Travel creator Christopher Chang says a routine dive took an unexpected turn when a sea turtle swam up to him and appeared to “slap” him. In an Instagram video captioned “I got slapped by a turtle,” Chang shows the moment the turtle approaches and describes the encounter.
He told viewers the dive began normally, but the turtle kept reappearing. Chang, who says he has had hundreds of turtle encounters, explained that this animal’s behavior felt different: it repeatedly headed straight for him, stared intently, and seemed unusually focused on him. “When you’re spending time with a creature in the wild, you’re not just observing—you can feel their energy,” he said, adding that the turtle’s vibe felt odd and persistent.
As the turtle grew more comfortable and continued to approach, Chang says it eventually made contact. After being struck, he decided to end the dive and signal the boat to pick him up, admitting he wasn’t sure what would have happened had he stayed in the water.
Viewers reacted with amusement online. Some joked the turtle was enforcing quiet in its own home, while others quipped about consent for filming. Several people chimed in with their own wildlife run-ins: one recounted a friendly turtle dapping them up while snorkeling in Kauai, and another remembered being bonked on the head by a small stingray that leaped onto their surfboard while they were paddling out.
