Palpatine

Palpatine joins a group of special turtles named by the Big Blue team under a Star Wars theme – check out Anakin and General Grievous for more Star Wars-inspired sea turtles. Palpatine was first reported and identified by Will Nesset, and has since been reported a total of three times in the Andaman Turtle Watch database. All three sightings have been around Similan Island 9, where she has been observed foraging amongst the reef. On one occasion, she was even nearly flipped upside down by the current while determinedly foraging for her next bite.

From our observations, we believe Palpatine to be a female sub-adult hawksbill. This is based on the absence of a long tail extending beyond the hind flippers – a feature seen in males. However, we will need to wait until she is fully grown to be certain. Interestingly, out of the 67 unique hawksbills currently in the Andaman Turtle Watch catalogue, not a single confirmed male has been reported. Most individuals are still listed as “unknown,” either because of their small size or lack of a clear photo of the tail. A few can be categorised as female with some confidence, but so far there are no confirmed males among hawksbills in the Andaman Sea.

In comparison, among just nine unique green turtles identified, three have already been confirmed as male – Anakin, Colita, and Will. This contrast is intriguing, but with limited data it’s too early to draw conclusions. For now, Palpatine’s story adds another piece to the puzzle, and alongside Andaman Turtle Watch we will continue to monitor sightings closely to better understand the population structure of hawksbills in the region.