What Is Turtle Island
This is a little story written just for you — not a rules explanation. Want to know how to play? Go to Turtle Island Adventure.
A Place Far Away
Turtle Island sits on the other side of the ocean. No person has ever been there. Only your turtle knows the way.
If you looked for it on a map, you wouldn’t find it — it doesn’t exist in any real sea. It’s a place that belongs only to you and your turtle.
What’s On the Island
The island has a round little hill, and at the top stands a tree called the Spineback Tree. Under the tree sits a big turtle. His name is Captain Mora — the island elder, who knows all the stories. Next to the tree there is also a lighthouse. Its lamp is not yet lit.
Around the island are the Sandbell Shoal, the Coral Woods, and ocean so deep you can’t see the bottom. Each time your turtle heads out on an adventure, he swims out from those waters.
Your Turtle’s Name Is Mori
Every child who uses Tortoise Time gets a turtle adopted just for them. His name is Mori — Captain Mora’s young companion.
Mori is small, with a pale silver-gray shell. At first he doesn’t know how to leave on his own — Captain Mora walks part of the way with him. He knows your name (even though he can’t say it out loud), and he only listens to you. No matter how long you’ve been away from Tortoise Time, he will always be waiting for you.
Who Is Captain Mora
Captain Mora is the largest turtle on the island. On his shell are thirty star marks — and at first they are all dark. Each time you and Mori finish a piece of the story, one star lights up.
His left front leg has a small old mark. Sometimes he walks a little slower because of it. A wooden pipe rests in his mouth, but it never gives smoke.
He never leaves Turtle Island. Every time you send Mori out and he comes back, Captain Mora is there — sometimes on a rock, sometimes under the lighthouse, but always somewhere on the island, waiting.
Who You’ll Meet in the Story
Over the seven years, Mori meets some companions in the sea:
- Year 1, he meets a tiny starfish on the sand, a kind jellyfish in the Coral Woods, and a very large whale in the deep;
- Year 5, he sees seven shapes — very, very old young turtles. Their names are Tide, Stone, Coral, Pearl, Star, Wind, Salt. They used to live here, a long time ago;
- Year 6, a new little turtle washes up in the shallows. Her name is Cinta. Mori looks after her, the way Captain Mora once looked after him.
What the Mist Is
Far out on the horizon there is a band of gray mist. It is not near. It stays at the edge. Don’t worry about it — it won’t come closer, and it won’t speak.
Every time Mori lights a new small light, the mist fades a little. By Year 7, the mist is completely gone, and the sea is blue all the way out.
Time on Turtle Island Moves Differently
When you’re asleep, Turtle Island is still turning — but much more slowly than the real world. So even if you haven’t opened Tortoise Time in a few days, the story on Turtle Island hasn’t moved much — it’s waiting for you. When you come back, the story picks up right where you left off.
Will the Turtle Grow Up?
Mori slowly grows. Over seven years, he goes from a tiny young turtle into one who can swim very far. By Year 7, he can light the lighthouse on his own.
Will the Turtle Talk to You?
He can’t speak in human language — but he uses his journal to tell you what happened.
Each time he comes home from outside, he writes:
- Where he went today
- What he met
- What he brought back
- How he felt
When you read the journal, you see what is inside him.
What Turtle Island Is Not
- Not a place you can “finish” — you will never reach the end of it
- Not a competition — no other child is racing you to see whose turtle is better
- Not a shop — there’s nothing here that you can “buy”
- Not a schoolwork assignment — you don’t need to “complete” anything
It’s simply a place where things go slowly. Look as much or as little as you want. You can even forget about it for a while. It will always be here, waiting.
Can You Change Turtle Island?
You can’t change it directly — but you can shape it.
- Where you send Mori, he goes — the route is your choice
- What name you give Mori (if you want to give him one), that’s what he’s called in your journal
- What you’ve collected, Turtle Island remembers — collect enough, and new places appear
One Last Thing
If you grow up someday and decide you don’t want to play Tortoise Time anymore, Mori and Captain Mora will keep living on Turtle Island. They won’t disappear. They will just become a memory — yours.
Want to know what happens to Turtle Island over the next 7 years → Seven Years of Story Want to know where the treasures come from → Where the Treasures Come From