Sea Turtle Tattoos

Tattoos are seen as an expression of freedom, personality and individuality. Sea turtle tattoos are popular amongst most of the tattoo cultures in the world. There are a lot of cute turtle designs to choose from such as Ninja turtles, good luck turtles, Hawaiian sea turtles, etc. Sea turtle designs are very popular among sailors as it is a belief that sailors get themselves tattooed with sea turtle designs after they have crossed the equator for the first time.

Sea Turtle Tattoo Meaning

Sea turtle motifs are very popular among tattoo aficionados as they have long been seen as an emblem for wisdom and self-preservation. In the Greek culture, the sea turtle is seen as a symbol for 'woman'. That is one of the reasons why sea turtle foot tattoos are popular among women folk. On the other hand, it is seen as a symbol of long life. People who are into spirituality look at sea turtles as navigators as they are able to find their way through the 'murky waters' of life. Western cultures look at the turtles as symbols of patience and wisdom. Although these animals are slow, yet very steady, they are looked upon as symbols of perseverance as well. Since they lay a very large number of eggs at a time, they are also said to be symbols of fertility. The shell of the turtle is hard and it symbolizes protection and strength. The turtles are well able to escape the world into the comfort of its shell and people who identify well with this attribute get themselves inked with the image of a sea turtle. The fact that sea turtles spend a majority of their lives under water and only come to the surface for a quick burst of air, appeals to many people as it tends to symbolize not only a certain amount of safety but also adds a touch of mystery to the being itself.

Sea Turtle Tattoo Designs

Along with these meanings attached to the sea turtle, they are also aesthetically fascinating. Many choose to have the sea turtle images tattooed upon them in a simple manner. One of the common designs is to show a turtle swimming in a gush of water or, maybe, floating above the ocean floor. If you want to make your tattoo design more colorful, you can show a green sea turtle surrounded by coral and rocks, all in varying shades of blue which will give it an appearance of being illuminated under deep, dark waters.

You can choose to show intricate details on the shell of the sea turtle. With this design, you may show the sea turtle as a whole or depict it only with its shell. Another example is to create an oval over a large area of the body, which has small tiles in shades of green, brown or even yellow. If you like bolder colors, then you can also add metallic shades. A mosaic design can also be created which shows other symbols such as stars, the sun or even an open blossom of a flower. If you are a sailor or want to create a nautical theme, then an image of a compass rose onto the shell of the sea turtle makes for a wonderful design.

If you are fond of Hawaiian or tribal tattoos, then there is a large variety of images with unusual depictions of sea turtles. Both these styles of tattoo are very similar as they both are usually done in black and show an almost realistic outline of the turtle and have intricate patterns made on the shell which cuts into the otherwise monotonous image.

The other beauty of sea turtle body art designs is that you can also design your own tattoo. The other alternative is to have the tattoo artist design a different tattoo motif. The appeal of this tattoo design lies in the fact that other designs can be well incorporated with it.