Joly

Now Joly might just be the most famous sea turtle in the entire Andaman Turtle Watch catalogue. She’s well-known not only for her unforgettable encounters but also because she’s the turtle most frequently reported to the project. Joly was first identified by Big Blue’s very own Ciara Hunt, who kindly handed the honour of naming her over to her guests during that magical first sighting. A huge thank you to Lysanne Schepper and her boyfriend for coming up with the legendary name – little did anyone know at the time that Joly would go on to become a true Similan celebrity!

This sub-adult female hawksbill has been recorded 14 times in the Andaman Turtle Watch database so far, most often around Three Trees on the north coast of Similan Island 9. Her earliest recorded sighting goes all the way back to 2019, thanks to a historic submission from Maria Boadella – which means Joly has been hanging around Island 9 for over six years already! Over those encounters, we’ve observed some fascinating (and frankly hilarious) feeding behaviour: Joly has been spotted hanging vertically upside-down in the current while trying to grab a snack, tossing chunks of coral rubble aside like confetti, and even digging through the reef as if she were a dog hunting for buried treasure – all in pursuit of the perfect bite.

These kinds of detailed sightings are what make the project so exciting. They allow us to build a picture of each turtle’s personality, behaviour, and habitat use over time. Big Blue is proud to contribute these valuable observations to Andaman Turtle Watch – helping us all learn more about Joly and her friends while turning fun underwater moments into meaningful conservation action for sea turtles in the Andaman Sea.