Turtles halt flights at JFK airport

"Naturalists said the 185-acre Jamaica Bay may be the diamondback's most popular breeding ground in North America."

Diamond-back Terrapin Turtle - the only turtle that can live in tidal estuaries in the northeast.

Flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport were delayed shortly on Wednesday when about 150 diamondback terrapin turtles were spotted crossing a runway, authorities said.

The reptiles were trying to get to the other side of the runway to lay eggs on the sandy shores of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which borders the airport.

JFK airport was built right in the marshland of Jamaica Bay!

Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees operation of the region's airports, pilots from Jet Blue and other airlines halted their flights to let the expectant reptiles pass.

"Flight delays attributed to turtles were minor, about 15 minutes or so," he said.

Port Authority staff rushed out to the tarmac where, between take-offs and landings, they scooped up the turtles and helped them on their way.

Naturalists said the 185-acre Jamaica Bay may be the diamondback's most popular breeding ground in North America.