These Massive Sunbathing Turtles on a River in Maine Look Downright Prehistoric

We've all been part of a history class or two that revisits the time when dinosaurs were alive. The Boston Museum of Science remains a great place to see fossilized remains of dinosaurs and understand just how massive they were. Even the iconic film Jurassic Park reminds people of our prehistoric past.

So you can probably imagine how passersby recently felt in Bethel, Maine. A leisurely stroll down a river in the area turned into a "Wait, what is that?". As it turns out, they weren't dinosaurs but they were about as close as you can get in these modern times.

Shared on Facebook by Bethel Adventure Tours, a very large pair of snapping turtles were caught sunbathing in the middle of the river. The magnitude of these majestic beasts is really captured in just how large and powerful-looking the tails appear to be.

The knowledgable tour guides shared what they know about these snappers. One of the two turtles is at least 30 years old, and could be significantly older. The other turtle was new to the guides, and a pleasure to see in person.

As Bethel Adventure Tours warns, snapping turtles often behave similarly to black bears. They do not want to be cornered and are hypersensitive to their surroundings and any potential threats. Seeing snappers in the wild isn't uncommon in the right areas, and as long as you behave responsibly, there shouldn't be an issue.

Bethal Adventure Tours offers expeditions of the area in case you'd like to travel back in time and potentially lay your eyes on a large snapping turtle or two.