KIHEI, Hawai'i — Green sea turtles haven't got the easiest life in the sea, but one named Survivor has caught the attention of Bo Blinski, a volunteer for the Marine Turtle Research program. Survivor manages to swim, frolic and feed while missing one flipper.

Blinski, of Kihei, said he is inspired by the turtle's energy and its ability to overcome its handicap. He first spotted the turtle, already a member of an endangered species, about a year ago while snorkeling in water off South Maui.

"He or she holds its own. … It's amazing," he said. It hasn't been determined whether Survivor is a male or female, but researchers estimate the turtle, judging from its size, is about 12 years old, young for a green sea turtle.

George Balazs, who heads the research program, said turtles with missing parts of flippers are not that unusual, but it's less common to find a whole flipper missing. He said turtles could lose their flippers from shark attacks and even from becoming entangled in monofilament fishing lines.

Another turtle from O'ahu has been monitored with a tracking device after it lost one of its front flippers, apparently from a shark attack. It has reportedly laid its eggs at French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Green sea turtles, once found in the millions, are estimated at fewer than 200,000 nesting females worldwide.

The Pacific green turtles primarily nest in the French Frigate Shoals. They nest every two to three years after long trips, often of more than 1,000 miles.

Balazs said not having a flipper could affect a male turtle more than a female because he might have difficulty breeding, which doesn't occur until they are 20 or 30 years old. He said both front flippers are needed to effectively hug the female for mating.

"That's kind of bad news if you are a boy turtle," said Balazs, head of a turtle research program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

A female with a missing flipper might take longer to dig her nest, he said.

He said a turtle with only one front flipper might be expected to swim in a circle, but observation has shown they compensate with their other flippers.

Blinski, who has documented his encounters with the turtle, says he has been snorkeling for 18 years. He said Survivor swims right up to him, but he doesn't touch or feed the turtle.

"I leave them alone. I let the turtle make what choice they are making," he said.

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Information from: The Maui News, www.mauinews.com