The Giant Turtle That Bears The World On Its Back

In several cultures of the world, there is the concept of a gigantic turtle that holds up the Earth.

Versions of the mtyh are found in India, China and North America, the last of which is known as "Turtle Island" to some tribes as a reference to the belief that the continent was resting on the back of a gigantic turtle. The European reduction of the myth is the island-beast, a creature so large that sailors take it to be an island and land upon it. When the creature submerges, the sailors are doomed. the Bestiary name for the Island-beast is Aspidochelone or snake-turtle but in some myths such as St. Brendan's voyage, it is called a "Whale"

There is another story in Latin America about turtles as guardians at the door to pass to after life.
Turtles are amazing after all this time. they have survived, they where sharing a time with dinosaurs.