Michael J. Fox debuted his tattoo on Instagram in January 2019. Choosing the famous Bang Bang tattoo shop in NYC for his foray into the world of permanent ink, Fox enlisted artist Mr. K for the fine line piece that features a weathered looking sea turtle swimming through 5 consecutive rings, a noticeable chunk removed from his right fin, and a scar on his face (via People). At the time, the Back to the Future star merely captioned the social media post with, "First tattoo, sea turtle, long story," but he revealed the deeper meaning to shop owner Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy, who shared the touching story with Inked Magazine.

According to the interview, Fox had an encounter with a turtle in St. John that looked very much like the one now inked on his arm, and it had a huge impact on the actor. McCurdy detailed, "He spotted this turtle with a chunk missing from its fin and a scar on his face. And that turtle let him swim with him for about a half an hour. He made a transcending decision right after that. So that turtle was pretty significant to him."  

Could it have been that he saw himself in that turtle, battered and bruised but still swimming through life, and inspiring those he encounters? Only Fox can reflect on the details, but as he revealed in his New York Times interview, "With gratitude, optimism becomes sustainable," and maybe that's what the turtle taught him.