Turtle Bay – Havelock Island Dive Site

18m Max

15-35m Vis

boat

Site Overview

Turtle Bay is one of Havelock Island most beloved dive sites offering an enchanting shallow-water experience where green turtles and hawksbill turtles forage across seagrass meadows and coral bommies in a calm protected bay environment. The gently sloping sandy bottom descends from 5 meters to a maximum depth of 18 meters across a mosaic of seagrass beds, scattered coral bommies, and open sand patches that create diverse micro-habitats supporting extraordinary marine biodiversity. Green turtles are encountered on virtually every dive at Turtle Bay as they graze on the seagrass beds and rest on sandy patches between feeding sessions while hawksbill turtles patrol the coral bommie edges searching for sponges and soft corals. The seagrass meadows also support blue spotted stingrays that rest on the open sand, garden eels that emerge from burrows in the substrate, and seahorses that cling to seagrass blades and gorgonian sea fans. Juvenile fish of dozens of species use the shallow protected bay as a nursery ground creating outstanding macro photography opportunities among the seagrass and coral bommies. The combination of reliable turtle encounters, calm conditions, and diverse shallow-water habitats makes Turtle Bay one of the most popular sites on Havelock Island for divers of all experience levels seeking unforgettable turtle interactions in the warm Andaman Sea waters.

Dive Briefing

"A typical dive at Turtle Bay begins with an easy entry from the dive boat in the shallowest area of the bay at approximately 5 meters allowing divers to orient themselves over the seagrass meadows and coral bommies before beginning a gentle descent along the sandy slope. Once oriented divers should swim slowly over the seagrass beds and around the coral bommies maintaining excellent buoyancy control to avoid contacting the fragile seagrass and coral formations while scanning for turtles grazing in the meadows below. The most productive depth zone is between 8 and 15 meters where turtles are most commonly encountered feeding on seagrass and resting on sandy patches between the coral bommies. Navigate along the bommie edges watching for blue spotted stingrays on the sand, garden eels emerging from burrows, and seahorses clinging to gorgonian fans in the filtered light. Check the seagrass canopy carefully for camouflaged juvenile fish, nudibranchs, and flatfish that hide among the grass blades. The shallow depth profile allows extended bottom time with no decompression concerns making this site ideal for skills practice, buoyancy training, relaxed photography dives, and memorable turtle encounters. Conclude the dive in the shallowest section enjoying the abundant marine life before completing a safety stop at 5 meters and surfacing near the dive boat."