Tula

It all started with a single frame – a still taken from a GoPro video. With the help of that image and a few others, we were able to confirm her identity. Will, one of our team members, gave her a name: Tula.

Tula was a female, and she became our second successfully identified turtle In the Andaman Turtle Watch database. At the time, we didn’t realize how significant that moment was – or how many more turtles we would come to know.

The idea behind naming these turtles and building a photo database was simple but powerful: create a lasting visual record of our local population. But more than that, it was a way to bring others into the story. Citizen science became personal. After all, who wouldn’t want to name their own turtle and play a part in protecting these incredible animals?

Now, with each new photo added, the database becomes stronger. Every image helps us cross-reference sightings, trace patterns, and learn more about the turtles that call these waters home. What started with Tula has grown into something far bigger – a community effort to understand and protect the wild hearts of the sea.