Is The Photo Real Or Photoshopped ?

[pinstripe]

There is a photo of a turtle that has seemingly been deformed by a six pack ring doing the rounds on Facebook. The story is allegedly created by The Minnesota Department of Conservation (which appears to be a made up name as no such department exists). What I want to know is whether the photo has been photoshopped to place the six pack ring on it because it doesn't appear real to me?
What are the FACTS?

[woofgang]

can you post a link to the photo?

[Frank97]

This one?
http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/03/Peanut-Deformed-Turtle-Six-Pack-Ring-1-537x380.jpg

[viv38]

God, I hope it is photoshopped, but why would it be I wonder ..... ?

[jno]

this one?

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=50998

[Frank97]

Neither are good are they, but I don't think they've been photoshopped
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sl/index.php

[viv38]

Will the human race never learn - how easy is it to dispose of litter ?? Makes me sick to my stomach.

[Graham-W]

In my humble opinion the plastic round the turtles middle doesn't look tight enough, especially towards the bottom of the picture. There seems to be some looseness there.
However, my first reaction would be to cut the turtle free of the plastic and then think, "Perhaps I should have taken a photo first". I'd then lay the plastic on the turtle to take the photo and not get it as tight as originally it was.

[royfromaus]

If I wanted to get a message across I wouldn't take a photo that could be dismissed as 'photoshopped' I would make a video to prove inconclusively that it was real.

[pinstripe]

The reason I ask is 1) For a turtle to actually get into a sixpack carrier ring in the first place it would need to be around 6-8" in size. That turtle is at least treble that size so we can assume it must be around two - three years old there. How has that piece of plastic not noticeably stretched or discoloured after being underwater for so long strapped to a turtle? Why has no algae or sealife tried to grow on it? Why has it not eroded away on the sandy seabed? Personally, I think it was caused by discarded fishing nets or line but adding a perfectly clean and undistorted beer carrier must suit the photographer's agenda. I don't doubt for one minute that our discarded rubbish causes untold damage and harm to wildlife and it's surroundings and it should be highlighted and stopped but to do that with a 'lie' only hinders the campaign.

P.s. I have no personal agenda here other than a hatred of doctored photos being used as facts or evidence.

[woofgang]

I don't think the photo has been photoshopped. I do think that a beercan plastic has been laid across the turtle again to demonstrate what happened.

[woofgang]

Unless you know to the contrary, i don't think that the photographer was deliberately trying to deceive. If he was, he could have done a much better job.