Watch this huge Maine snapping turtle visit a fisherman

This story was originally published in July 2023.

Colin Chase of Gray really enjoys fishing on quiet ponds in his kayak, where in addition to wetting a line, the avid outdoorsman always has a camera at the ready.

His unobtrusive style of angling has enabled him to catch more incredible wildlife video footage.

Chase recently had a close encounter, one that he recorded and is generously sharing with Bangor Daily News readers.

The subject is a huge snapping turtle that cozies right up to Chase’s kayak. The turtle, which becomes bathed in sunlight, barely moves as Chase greets it and gets his camera rolling.

The old turtle clearly has spent many summers in the same vicinity, judging from its size and its green shell that appears to consist at least in part of organic matter.

According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, it is common for older turtles to have algae on the upper part of their shell.

Snapping turtles eat fish, crayfish, reptiles, birds, invertebrates such as snails and freshwater mussels, along with mammals and plants.

Our thanks to Chase for sharing another beautiful wildlife video with Bangor Daily News readers. To see more of his incredible work with trail cameras, check out his Maine Woodsbooger channel on YouTube .

Do you have an outdoors photo or video to share? Send it to pwarner@bangordailynews.com and tell us, “I consent to the BDN using my photo/video.”