Japanese Sea Turtle's "Upside-Down Pole Dance" Goes Viral

A video shared by the Roadside station Kihocho Umigame-park in Mie Prefecture, Japan, has captured the attention of over 5.3 million viewers. The clip shows a sea turtle performing what appears to be a "pole dance", with its head down and legs up, holding onto a pipe and twisting its body.

Many viewers have likened the turtle's movements to those of a pole dancer, sparking a wave of humorous comments. Park staff have attempted to explain this unusual behavior but admitted that they have never seen anything like it before. None of the other turtles in the park exhibit similar actions, leaving the staff to honestly say, "We don't know."

Despite the uncertainty, the staff's candid response has been widely praised by netizens, who appreciate their honesty. Based on existing knowledge, the staff speculate that wild sea turtles sometimes rub against coral reefs to clean themselves, suggesting that this turtle might be engaging in a similar cleaning behavior.

The video has inspired a range of amusing comments, with viewers joking that the turtle "looks happy," "must have been a pole dancer in a past life," or "sometimes just feels like pole dancing." The Kiho-cho Umigame Park not only provides facilities for sea turtle conservation and rehabilitation but also regularly interacts with the public, answering questions about turtles and other species. The park's unique facilities and ecological education activities attract many visitors, making it an important platform for understanding sea turtle ecology.

「お客さんからの質問に『わからない』と答えるのは、恥ずかしい事だと思いなさい。」
昔、言われたこの言葉を今でも大切にしています。
ただ、この場面に遭遇した時、私はまた言ってしまうでしょう。わかりませんと。 pic.twitter.com/yHpmjqhWX5

— 道の駅ウミガメ公園【公式】 (@umigame_kouen) March 3, 2025