11/02/2026
Sharing the ocean with sea turtles is one of those quiet, magical moments that makes every dive unforgettable. 🐢✨
Around the Gili Islands, you’ll mostly meet green turtles and hawksbill turtles — and yes, you can tell them apart.
🔎 How to recognize them underwater?
• Green turtle → rounder face, smooth shell, often grazing on seagrass beds.
• Hawksbill turtle → sharper, “beak-like” mouth, beautifully patterned shell, usually hanging around coral reefs.
💡 Male or female?
Look at the tail. Adult males have a long, thick tail extending beyond the shell. Females’ tails are short and barely visible.
🌊 Common habits in the Gili Islands:
• Resting under coral ledges
• Slowly cruising over reefs
• Surfacing regularly for air
• Returning to the same reef areas
As divers, we’re just visitors in their world.
Keep distance. Move slowly. Let them choose the encounter.
Have you spotted both species while diving in Gili? 💬👇
