Sea Turtle Ecology & Advanced Open Water Course
7 Day | Advanced Open Water + Turtle Ecology
You already know how to dive.
Now learn to dive better – and do more with the skills you have.
Advanced Isn’t Just About Going Deeper
Becoming a better diver isn’t only about how deep you can go. Better buoyancy, navigation, control and situational awareness give you more capacity underwater – less attention spent managing yourself, and more attention for what’s actually happening around you.
This seven-day programme combines the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver course with our SSI Turtle Ecology Specialty, developed through Big Blue’s Living Blue initiative and Andaman Turtle Watch. You’ll develop your diving skills while learning about sea turtle biology and ecology, species identification, photo-ID and citizen science – and how better diving can lead to better observations and more useful data.
Across the week, you’ll move between the classroom, field visits and the ocean, working with real turtle sightings and photo-ID data before putting what you’ve learned into practice underwater. You’ll leave with two SSI certifications, eight dives under your belt, and the skills to start collecting useful photo-ID images and contributing your own sea turtle sightings as you continue diving.
Already an Open Water Diver?
This programme builds on the skills you already have – developing greater control, awareness and confidence underwater, then putting those skills to work through turtle ecology, photo-identification and citizen science.
What you'll learn
By the end of the week, you’ll be a more capable and confident diver – with the skills to look closer, make more useful observations and start contributing your own sea turtle sightings.
Advanced diving skills
Develop your buoyancy, navigation, control and awareness while building confidence across a wider range of underwater environments.
Sea turtle ecology
Explore sea turtle biology, life cycles, habitats and behaviour, and better understand the turtles you’re diving alongside.
Species ID & behaviour
Learn to identify local sea turtle species and recognise the behaviours, habitats and details that make an observation useful.
Photo-identification
Learn to identify individual turtles by their facial scales and collect images that can be used for photo-ID and long-term monitoring.
Citizen science & data
Learn what makes a sighting useful, how records become data and how your own observations can contribute to Andaman Turtle Watch.
Turtle conservation
Explore the challenges facing turtles in the Andaman Sea and critically compare different conservation approaches, their strengths and limitations.
7-Day Schedule
Day 1
Sea Turtle Ecology
Meet the team and get to know Andaman Turtle Watch before diving into the biology and ecology of sea turtles. Explore their adaptations, life cycles, migration, feeding, behaviour and nesting ecology, then put that knowledge into practice in an interactive species-ID workshop focused on the turtles of the Andaman Sea.
Day 2
Photo-ID & Conservation in Action
Get hands-on with real sightings from the Andaman Turtle Watch database, practising how facial scale patterns can be used to recognise individual turtles and track them through repeat sightings. Then visit The Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtle Conservation Center to explore different approaches to turtle conservation – including their strengths, limitations and challenges.
Day 3
Buoyancy & Navigation
Begin your SSI Advanced Open Water training with two dives at our local dive sites, focusing on Perfect Buoyancy and Navigation. Develop greater control, precision and underwater awareness – building the foundations for more confident and capable diving throughout the rest of the week.
Day 4
Deep & Specialty Diving
Head into the Similan or Surin Islands Marine National Parks for two more dives, including your Deep Dive and an additional Specialty Dive. Build confidence across different underwater environments while developing the awareness and control that come with becoming a more capable diver.
Day 5
Advanced Diver Development
Return to the Marine National Park for two more dives. Complete your final Specialty Dive, then put your new skills into practice on a fun dive – refining your buoyancy, awareness and control with your instructor. By the end of the day, you’ll have completed the requirements for your SSI Advanced Open Water Diver certification.
Day 6
Citizen Science Diving
Now put those Advanced skills to work. Return to the National Park for two dives focused on observation, species ID and photo-identification, while practising how to collect useful images and sighting information for citizen science. Better diving means more attention for what’s happening around you – and more useful observations when you find it.
Day 7
From Observations to Data
Head back to the classroom and put your photo-ID skills into practice, following turtle sightings from submitted photographs to individual records and data entry. Finish with your SSI Turtle Ecology certification, a visual review of Andaman Turtle Watch’s research, and how you can continue contributing after the course.
The Big Blue Difference
Skills that change how you dive – Advanced isn’t just about going deeper. Your instructor will work with you to refine your skills and gain the experience that makes you more capable underwater – developing buoyancy, control, navigation, awareness and confidence.
Small groups, real attention – Better diving comes from individual feedback and time in the water. You’ll get hands-on coaching throughout the course, with the space to work on your own diving rather than simply completing the required skills.
Good diving comes first – Better buoyancy, control and awareness give you more capacity to focus on what’s happening around you. That matters when you’re observing wildlife, collecting photo-ID images or recording useful information – so first we help you develop as a diver, then we show you what you can do with those skills.
Turtle Ecology, Built on Real Research
Learn with Andaman Turtle Watch – the first and only public citizen-science sea turtle photo-ID project operating across Thailand’s Andaman Coast.
This isn’t generic turtle ecology taught from a textbook. The SSI Turtle Ecology programme provides the foundation, while Andaman Turtle Watch brings it to life through real sightings, long-term photo-ID data, local case studies and active research from across the Andaman Sea.
Developed here in Khao Lak through Big Blue’s Living Blue initiative, the course connects what you learn in the classroom directly to the turtles, habitats and research happening in the same Andaman Sea you’re diving in.
Real turtles. Real sightings.
Work with real turtles, sightings and case studies from the Andaman Turtle Watch database. See what repeat sightings can reveal about individual turtles, their movements, behaviour and habitat use – and how that evidence can help inform local conservation strategies.
Understand the Methods
Follow a sighting through the research process – from species ID and photo-identification to data collection, individual matching and analysis. Learn how individual records build into a long-term dataset and what makes citizen-science data useful and reliable.
Collect your own sightings
Take those methods underwater. Learn what makes a useful photo-ID image, what information to record and how to document a turtle encounter responsibly. With your Advanced certification, you can continue collecting and submitting your own sightings long after the course ends.
Prerequisites & Certification
To join the course you will need:
To be aged 12+.
Hold an Open Water Diver certification from SSI or another recognised training agency.
Be comfortable in the water with basic swimming ability, and be in good general health.
What you'll receive:
SSI Advanced Open Water Diver certification - an internationally recognised qualification that develops your diving across six dives, including Navigation and Deep Diving, and qualifies you to dive to a maximum depth of 30 metres (15+) or 21 metres (ages 12–14).
SSI Turtle Ecology Specialty certification - delivered as our Andaman Turtle Watch edition, combining the SSI programme with real local sightings, photo-ID, citizen science and active research from the Andaman Sea.
Where You'll Dive
Your eight dives take you from our local dive sites to the Similan or Surin Islands Marine National Parks, giving you the chance to develop your skills across different underwater environments throughout the week.
Your first Advanced dives focus on buoyancy, navigation and control at our local sites, where you’ll have the space to concentrate on your diving. From there, you’ll head into the Marine National Park for your Deep and Specialty Dives, skills development and dedicated citizen science dive day.
By the time you reach your citizen science dives, you won’t just be visiting the National Park as a diver. You’ll be looking more closely at the reef, habitats and wildlife around you – putting your species ID, observation and photo-ID skills into practice and seeing the National Park through a different lens.
What’s Included
- 3-day SSI Advanced Open Water Diver course, digital learning materials & certification
- SSI Turtle Ecology Specialty - delivered as our unique Andaman Turtle Watch edition
- 8 open water dives, including 2 dedicated citizen science dives
- Similan or Surin Islands Marine National Park fees
- Full scuba equipment and dive computer rental
- Diving insurance
- All Andaman Turtle Watch workshops, data sessions, field visits and course activities
- Transport to the pier and scheduled field visits
- Lunch on all seven programme days
- Living Blue Welcome Pack - 2 T-shirts and reusable tumbler
Not included: Accommodation, flights, airport transfers, breakfasts and dinners. Optional Nitrox upgrades are available for certified divers. Airport transfers can be arranged through Big Blue, and we’re happy to recommend local accommodation.
Our Diving Courses FAQs
Do I need to already be a certified diver?
Yes. You’ll need an SSI Open Water Diver certification or an equivalent qualification from another recognised training agency. If you’ve never dived before, take a look at our 7-Day SSI Open Water Diver + SSI Turtle Ecology programme instead.
Do I need to be an experienced or confident diver?
Will we definitely see sea turtles?
No – and we’ll never guarantee a wild animal encounter. Turtles are regularly seen in the Andaman Sea and we’ll be diving in habitats where they occur, but sightings depend on wildlife, conditions and a little luck. The programme is designed so the ecology, photo-ID and citizen science still stand on their own, whether a turtle chooses to join us or not.
Can I collect my own turtle photo-ID images?
Yes. Unlike the Open Water programme, your Advanced training gives you the opportunity to start collecting your own turtle photo-ID images. We’ll teach you what makes an image useful for identification, what sighting information to record and how to document encounters responsibly – the focus is useful citizen-science imagery, not underwater photography tuition.
What if I’m already an Advanced diver?
Then this probably isn’t the right package for you – and we don’t want you paying to repeat training you already have. Our Citizen Science Course delivers the Turtle Ecology and citizen-science components without repeating your Advanced certification.
What happens if weather or National Park conditions change?
We’re working around the ocean, wildlife and Marine National Parks, so some flexibility is part of the programme. Dive sites, schedules and activities may change with weather, sea conditions or National Park operations. We’ll adapt the programme where needed while keeping the core learning, diving and citizen-science experience intact.
Still have questions?
Looking for Something Different?
Never Been Diving Before?
Start from the beginning with our 7-Day SSI Open Water Diver + SSI Turtle Ecology Specialty. Learn to dive while exploring turtle ecology, photo-ID and citizen science through Andaman Turtle Watch.
Already an Advanced diver?
Go further with our 7 Day Sea Turtle Ecology and Citizen Science Diver Course, with more time focused on research methods, Photo ID skills, citizen science and collecting useful observations underwater.
Add Turtle Ecology to Your Trip
Whether you’re a non-diver, snorkeller or have diving or a liveaboard booked, our 1-Day Turtle Ecology Course – delivered by Andaman Turtle Watch – is an easy way to add local turtle ecology, photo-ID and citizen science to your Khao Lak trip.
Ready to Get Started?
Begin Your Diving Journey
Seven days. Two SSI certifications. Eight dives – and the skills to start collecting and contributing your own turtle sightings.
Check our upcoming course dates or get in touch with the Big Blue team if you have any questions before booking.