Diamondback terrapin 1. Latin: Malaclemys terrapin. The only species of turtle in North America, that spends its life in brackish water (a mix of salt and fresh water). 2. A species of turtle native to the brackish coastal marshes of the eastern and southern United States. 3. A species of Highest Conservation Concern in many states. This particular adventure began with one of the worst oil spills in history. The President himself called it the worst environmental disaster the United States has ever faced. And it took us by surprise. The events that put my best friends and I, aka The Sizzling Six, on a collision course with this disaster began with an unusual lunch in my grandparents' kitchen. Now that I'm thinking about it, the story began even before that, with an invitation to spend the summer at my grandparents' beach cottage on the Gulf of Mexico. Let me tell you this amazing story as it unfolded.