Best places to dive with Hawksbill turtle

Resident reef turtle in Baa, seen year-round on house reefs and cleaning stations, recorded at Hanifaru and nearby reefs.

Resident on the reefs alongside green turtles; encountered year-round though less common than greens.

Seen alongside green turtles on the walls, though less numerous; often resting in crevices and on coral ledges.

Resident alongside green turtles and encountered year-round; the Gilis are known for reliable turtle sightings rather than big animals.

Resident year-round. Tatawa Besar and Siaba Besar are the reliable sites — operators describe hawksbills feeding on sponges on the Tatawa slope. No seasonality documented.

Seen year-round on the reef, often on the walls picking at sponges. Half Moon Caye is a documented nesting beach; nesting is in the summer season.

Resident on the coral gardens year-round. More wary of divers than green turtles, but seen most diving days somewhere on the reefs.

Hawksbill turtles are commonly seen grazing the coral at the Bida islands and Koh Haa and are among the region's most dependable larger animals.

Common on the reef and wall year-round (Sipadan closed in November).

Reliably seen on the reef sites, including Turtle Ledge, feeding and resting on the coral.

Regularly seen on the coral walls alongside green turtles; both species nest within the park.

Seen on coral reef sites and walls such as Cathedral and deeper points; not a headline draw here.

Seen on the reefs and walls across Bali, including Menjangan and Tulamben.

Seen at Apo Island alongside the greens, feeding on sponges on the deeper reef; less numerous than the green turtles but regular.

Regular on sheltered reefs such as Koh Yang and Sail Rock, though numbers are modest.

Seen on the shallow coral reefs alongside green turtles, though less frequently; Shark Bay and the reefs around Koh Nang Yuan are good spots.

Seen on the reef and at Gato through the year.

Seen alongside the more common green turtles, more often on the Pescador wall.

On the walls, e.g. Big Drop-Off.

Turtles, including hawksbills, are seen along the reefs and walls, notably around Verde Island and Sinandigan. Regular but not on every dive.

One of two resident sea turtles in the Similans, seen on hard-coral reefs such as East of Eden. Present year-round on the reefs but only observable in the open season.

Hawksbills are the least common of the three turtles here, with a few resident to the deeper reefs. Critically Endangered.

Occasionally seen cruising the wrecks and shallow reef patches.

Reported on Vava'u reefs year-round, less frequently than green turtles.

Seen on the reefs alongside green turtles, foraging on sponges along the walls.