Sea Bailey

Sea Bailey is a sub-adult female hawksbill turtle who has been reported twice to the Andaman Turtle Watch database, with sightings around Similan Islands 8 and 9. She was fondly named by Big Blue Instructor Ciara Hunt after her beloved dog “Land Bailey” – making Sea Bailey a namesake that connects land and sea.

In both submissions, Sea Bailey was observed feeding amongst coral rubble, and on one occasion, she was even seen attempting to reach something hidden beneath a brain coral. She is easily recognisable to divers thanks to an old injury on the left side of her carapace, between the second and third coastal scutes, as well as a distinctive curvature in her supracaudal scutes. Based on the absence of a large tail, we believe Sea Bailey is female, though confirmation will only come once she reaches full size and maturity.

We love Sea Bailey’s name and the personal connection it represents – a reminder of how Andaman Turtle Watch helps bring people closer to marine conservation. With more monitoring in the coming seasons, we look forward to learning more about Sea Bailey’s underwater world and the role she plays in the Similan Islands ecosystem.