Living Blue
Andaman Sea Turtle Database
MEET THE TURTLES WE KNOW BY NAME
Real turtles. Individual histories. Stories built one sighting at a time.
Turtle stories from the Andaman Sea
BIG BLUE TURTLE DATABASE
Every turtle has a story. Photo-ID helps us follow it – and learn from it.
Andaman Turtle Watch uses photo-identification to recognise individual sea turtles from the unique pattern of scales on the side of their face. Each sighting adds another record. Repeat sightings over months and years build individual histories that can help us investigate movements, site fidelity, habitat use, behaviour, injuries and changes over time.
Seen one of these turtles?
REPEAT SIGHTINGS MATTER
Already in the database? Send it anyway.
Repeat sightings can be just as valuable – sometimes more valuable – than finding a new turtle. They turn a single identification into a long-term record, helping us understand where individuals go, how they use different habitats and what changes over time.
See the same turtle, in the same place, at the same time, every day? We still want to know. It might not feel exciting, but that consistency can be extremely valuable for long-term monitoring.
And there’s another side to knowing who we’re looking at. Identify a turtle, give them a name, follow their story, and suddenly there’s a personal connection. Because when people know their stories, they have a reason to care about what happens next.
Explore the Big Blue database
MEET THE TURTLES
Part of a bigger picture
ABOUT THIS DATABASE
This database showcases all the individual turtles documented by the Big Blue team, alongside repeat records of those turtles contributed through the wider Andaman Turtle Watch network.
It represents just part of ATW’s wider research database. For more individual turtles, sighting records and research from across Thailand’s Andaman Sea, explore the full Andaman Turtle Watch catalogue.
Turn your turtle photos into data
SEEN A TURTLE?
Anyone can contribute to Andaman Turtle Watch. Photos of the left and right sides of the turtle’s face are particularly useful for photo-ID, along with the date, location and any details you have about the encounter.
- WEBSITE FORM Submit your sighting directly through Andaman Turtle Watch.
- WHATSAPP Send your photos and sighting details directly to us. +66807526695
- FACEBOOK Send your sighting through the Andaman Turtle Watch Facebook page.
- INSTAGRAM Send us your turtle photos and sighting details by DM.
- EMAIL / FILE TRANSFER Got lots of large files? Send them by email, WeTransfer or Dropbox andamanturtlewatch@gmail.com
- Every submission is reviewed, photo-ID checked and matched against the existing database before the individual record is added or updated.
BUILT FOR CITIZEN SCIENCE
Behind the sightings is a growing system for managing the data. Alex at Big Blue developed ATW’s online submission form and backend, making it easier to collect, store and analyse citizen-science records as the project grows.
Keep exploring
MORE FROM LIVING BLUE × ANDAMAN TURTLE WATCH
There’s more than one way to get involved with our turtle work. Learn with us, join us at sea, bring sea turtle science into your students’ programme, contribute your sightings or explore the research for yourself.
Proud Partners in Sea Turtle Conservation
This turtley awesome data is provided by Andaman Turtle Watch (ATW).
Since October 2024, ATW has partnered with Big Blue Diving Khao Lak – the leading contributor of sea turtle sightings in the Andaman Sea. Big Blue’s team routinely photographs and reports turtles, playing a vital role in helping ATW monitor and protect them.
Learn more on our ATW info page, join the Facebook group, or contact Eve at andamanturtlewatch@gmail.com.