During the Age of Discovery, live sea turtles were captured and stored in the hulls of ships as a source of fresh protein. Because of their slow metabolism, turtles can live a long time while tightly packed in the hull.

Sailors would gather female turtles when they nested on shore. It is my understanding that some coral fringed islands that served as turtle nesting sites had a channel blown out of the reef using explosives. These channels are still used for the main pier and modern boat traffic.