You would never think it in New York City, where there’s more cement per capita than wildlife, but turtles are actually common near JFK Airport. Nearby Jamaica Bay is home to some surprising flora and fauna, including a population of diamondback terrapin turtles.
Like most New Yorkers with intellectual curiosity, these turtles don’t always stay within the safety of their natural habitat. Maybe they wanted to hop a flight to the Caribbean to check out the finer life or take a break from the cold, or perhaps they just wanted to get a closer view of the planes taking off, but, regardless of reason, these cute little guys have found their way into JFK International Airport and have been known to make their way onto the runway, causing among the most humorous of delays. You can’t make this shtick up.
Turtle leaves the comfort of his home in Jamaica Bay in search of a much-needed vacation
Turtle risks life and limb as he journeys to the airport
Turtle makes his move on the runway at JFK
We tweeted back in June of 2009: @JetBlue: There’s a turtle on the runway holding up all the planes at JFK. They’re sending a car to pick it up – “I like turtles”.
Word of the turtles got around. Stories ran in many of the major news outlets:
JFK Airport Runway Closed Due to Turtles | NYCAviation.com | Airplane Photos, Airline News, Planespotting Guides
Turtles block JFK runway – FlyerTalk Forums
Walking a Fine Line: How Companies Use Twitter – CNBC
Turtle Brigade Delays Flights at J.F.K. – NYTimes.com
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Posted by Turtle-Induced Delays Clogging Up JFK Runways – air travel on June 30, 2011 at 6:26 am
[...] JetBlue suggests that “maybe they wanted to bound a moody to a Caribbean to check out a finer life,” though in reality, a runways are tighten to a turtle’s healthy habitat, Jamaica Bay, and are apparently something of a romantic getaway for a small guys. [...]