At Turtle Point on Gili T, I was already swimming away from the reef disappointed, having admired hundreds of colorful fish but no turtles when suddenly in waist-deep water, two giant sea turtles appeared right in front of me. Not just one, but two! One swam off, leaving me with the smaller oneas I later realized. It was grazing on seagrass. I watched from a respectful distance so as not to disturb it. On each side of its shell were three curly white markings, perhaps it was a female.

The water was shallow enough that I could stand and watch the live show just 1.5 meters in front of me 😊 I gently shifted with the waves. Suddenly a stronger wave brought the other turtle toward me and it “kicked” my leg with its little back flipper 😁 It touched me, its leg felt like a thin paddle. This turtle was larger than the other. There were 2–3 other people around us, filming a bit with underwater GoPros before they left.

I seized the moment and watched for about half an hour. I could tell it wasn’t bothered, it peacefully grazed and occasionally surfaced for air. When it did, I stood and watched its fist-sized head emerge from the water, exhaling with a snort before diving again. There’s something peaceful and meditative about the way a turtle swims. This one was at least a meter long.

The water was so shallow in places that I was nearly sitting on the seabed. Thanks to the waves, we kept shifting positions, and at one point, the turtle’s little head was just 30 cm from mine, we looked at each other. It was magical! I could even gently touch its shell, it was that close. I found it interesting that sand had settled on it, and it felt like a slightly rubbery, strong material that somehow still felt alive. A few times, our legs bumped due to the waves, and once, it was grazing right in front of my feet. I noticed 1–2 small fish swimming beneath it. One colorful little fish, just a few centimeters long, even nibbled at my ankle 😏

How beautiful it is to connect with nature so close! 🪸  It was the most beautiful, closest, and longest sea turtle experience of my life!

(No picture has been taken during this unique experience to really live the moment. Photo below is from last year 2024, taken near Gili Meno island, the neighbouring island)