Many people don’t think of turtle tattoos when they are thinking about getting some type of animal design, but chances are more would if they knew how meaningful these tattoos can be. Not only that, it’s also quite easy to have a very attractive turtle tat while also bringing along a turtle tattoo meaning or two. Below you will find why turtle tattoos deserve to be more popular than they are and you can decide for yourself if it’s the right animal tattoo for you.

Turtle tattoos may not seem to have much meaning when you first look at them, but they mean a lot to most of the people who get them. That’s because turtles have come to be known as more than just hard-shelled green creatures of sea and land. They are some of the toughest reptiles out there, so it’s no surprise that there are a multitude of turtle tattoo meanings. What’s most interesting about them is that they bring with them meanings of all kinds, so plenty of people can find at least one that they would love to use in their designs.

As far as spiritual creatures go, the turtle has to be near the top of the list. Native Americans once believed that the turtles were the ones that created the continents by bringing mud up to the surface on their backs. They believed that because they recognized that turtles were able to survive on earth despite their supposed weaknesses. That ability to be far more than they first appear makes turtles obvious spiritual animal choices for some people. If you do decide to use this spiritual meaning, it would probably be a good idea to add in more spiritual symbols if you want outsiders to recognize that meaning.

Japanese seamen once saw the turtle as a protective spirit helping them get through their tough treks out at sea. This is because they could be seen far out in the ocean surviving (and sometimes thriving) despite many believing that they were meant to be on land. Not only is this an additional spiritual meaning, you could also see it as another symbol of hope.