There were turtles basking in the warming spring sun everywhere. We saw hundreds along the 12-mile route we took to the center of the swamp, but there will have been many more that dropped back into the water as we approached. Living in a National Wildlife Refuge they have little exposure to humans, so they are pretty shy.
I think these are painted turtles, but without the yellow stripes normally on the heads of painteds, I can't be certain.
