Leah

Wow – what a story Leah has to tell! Leah is a very special turtle, as she was the first individual identified at Ao Pakad during Andaman Turtle Watch’s very first season. What we didn’t know at the time was that this site would go on to consistently produce some of the most memorable turtle encounters. In fact, 16 turtle sightings were recorded at Ao Pakad in the first season alone, with Big Blue Diving Khao Lak being the only dive centre to report sightings from this site.

Leah also has a unique connection with one of the Big Blue team. All six sightings of Leah in the Andaman Turtle Watch database were recorded by instructor Sam Hunt, who fondly named her after his sister Leah back in the UK. In an incredible twist of fate, later that season Leah (in human form) visited Sam in Thailand to explore the underwater marvels of the Andaman Sea – and during her dive at Ao Pakad she came face to face with Leah the turtle, her namesake! It was a magical moment Leah will never forget, and a perfect example of the personal connection Andaman Turtle Watch creates between people and the turtles that inspire conservation action across the world. Small moments like these remind us that the ripple effect of community science and shared experiences should never be underestimated.

Since then, Leah has also been observed interacting with other unique hawksbills. Three social encounters have been reported between Leah and 0042 Andy, and one particularly special sighting involved Leah together with both Andy and 0052 Nelly Noo. In all her sightings at Ao Pakad, Leah has been observed foraging in the shallows, often accompanied by cleaner wrasse tending to her carapace.

These repeated observations raise important ecological questions: could Ao Pakad be a significant foraging ground and cleaning station for hawksbill turtles within the Surin Islands National Park? At this stage, we can’t say for certain – but what’s clear is that this site holds great importance. That’s why Big Blue Diving Khao Lak remains committed to working with Andaman Turtle Watch to gather more data and support the conservation management of turtles and their critical habitats across the Andaman Sea.