aquamike23

About

Exotic pet caretaker, animal rescuer, and digital content creator. He gained international fame for rescuing and providing specialized medical husbandry for "Hope," a rare albino pinkbelly sideneck turtle born with an exposed heart beating outside its shell.

Before fame

He has been involved with reptile breeding and husbandry for over a decade, but officially launched his public digital creator presence when he took Hope in and began documenting her journey in November 2018.

Trivia

In human medicine, the condition Hope was born with is known as ectopia cordis, but there is no official veterinary term for this genetic defect in reptiles. Following Hope's passing in August 2024, Michael took in another miracle baby turtle born with its heart outside its shell in 2025, which his followers affectionately call "Faith" or "Miracle". He also spends years tracking specific bloodlines to document genetic color patterns like the "Paisley" morph in Red-Eared Sliders.

Family life

He is based in the United States.

Associated with

He is a big fan of Coldplay.