Brian

Brian is one of the few turtles not named by Big Blue Diving Khao Lak. This sub-adult hawksbill was named by Velika Marquis and James Hurley from the Smiling Seahorse team. Brian has been recorded twice in the Andaman Turtle Watch database, both times around Similan Island 7 – one of those sightings by Big Blue’s own Alex Rhodes.

In Brian’s first sighting, they were captured on video displaying fascinating cleaning behaviour. The turtle was seen ‘scratching’ its carapace against rocks at the dive site. This behaviour, described in scientific literature, helps turtles to keep their carapace clean, remove epibionts/barnacles/algae that can affect hydrodynamics and for overall health. But it’s not just practical – turtles have nerve endings in their carapace, meaning they can feel touch. So, sometimes, a scratch on the reef may simply be for comfort, stress relief, or just because it feels good!

Thanks to contributions to Andaman Turtle Watch from partner dive teams like Big Blue and Smiling Seahorse, we’re gaining a better understanding of the natural behaviours and habitat use of turtles like Brian across the Similan Islands. More data is needed, but Similan Island 7 may prove to be an important cleaning station for sea turtles in the Andaman Sea.