Names Beneath the Surface: Stories of Koh Tao's Sea Turtles

On the southern tip of Koh Tao lies Shark Bay, where green sea turtles methodically graze algae growing across the reef. I have the privilege of living above this bay, and over the years it has become far more than a beautiful place to snorkel. It is where I learned that every turtle has a story.

Today, those stories are protected not only by marine biologists and conservationists, but also by a community of citizen scientists who know these turtles as individuals. This is the story of four remarkable turtles whose lives changed the way I see the ocean. 

How the Turtles Got Their Names

One of the things that makes Koh Tao so special is that the island doesn't simply admire its sea turtles. It knows them.

Through the Koh Tao Turtles Facebook community, researchers, divers, snorkelers, and locals identify individual turtles by the unique pattern of scales, or scutes, on their heads. When a turtle is documented for the first time, the photographer earns the privilege of naming it.

That's how Mr. Muscle, Ripper, Christy, and Grandma James became more than anonymous wildlife. They became individuals with stories.

Mr. Muscle: Marine Debris and the Reality Facing Sea Turtles in Koh Tao

Mr. Muscle was one of the oldest and largest green sea turtles in Shark Bay. Over the years, he became a familiar face to many of us who spent time there. 

Last year, Mr. Muscle was struck by a boat, leaving a significant wound across his carapace. The local community monitored his recovery closely. The injury was serious, but over the following months he appeared to be healing. 

Then his behavior changed.

He became lethargic. Instead of grazing in his usual areas, he remained hidden in a shallow bay. Those who knew him sensed that something wasn't right. 

A rescue effort was organized so veterinarians could properly examine him. Several determined members of the Koh Tao community captured him, and he was transported to Chumphon for treatment. 

Unfortunately, Mr. Muscle did not survive. A postmortem examination revealed that the boat strike wasn't what killed him. His digestive tract was severely obstructed by marine debris, and a bacterial infection associated with parasites proved fatal.

Mr. Muscle’s death taught me something I'll never forget. The greatest threat wasn't the injury on his shell. It was the plastic hidden inside him.

Ripper & Christy: A Storm Brings More Than Seaweed

Ripper and Christy are two of Shark Bay's best-known resident turtles. They have spent years sharing these waters with thousands of snorkelers and divers, seemingly unfazed by the attention.

On March 25, 2026, I saw a very different side of Shark Bay.

It was stormy, and the waves were strong. I almost turned around and went home. The tour boats stayed away, and for a while I had the bay entirely to myself.

In a shallow corner of white sand, I found Ripper and Christy feeding on mats of seaweed that had washed in with the storm. Their mouths opened wide as they swallowed mouthful after mouthful.

But it wasn't just seaweed.

Mixed in with it were plastic bags, fishing line, and countless fragments of plastic. The turtles couldn't separate one from the other. They simply ate whatever floated in front of them.

As I watched them feed, one detail caught my attention. A length of plastic string protruded from beneath Ripper's tail, clear evidence that he had already ingested marine debris.

I photographed it, knowing that what I was witnessing was more than an isolated incident. The plastic floating on the surface doesn't simply disappear. Much of it ends up inside the animals that call these waters home. I spent more than an hour in the surge documenting their behavior, cold and exhausted, but unable to look away. It was an honor to witness a story that deserved to be told. 

Grandma James and Her Unlikely Companion 

Grandma James is one of the oldest known resident sea turtles in Koh Tao. 

My first and only encounter with her came this summer in less than two meters of water near Sai Tong Beach. 

Her pale face, almost white with age, caught my attention first. Then I noticed something else. 

Her back flippers floated motionless behind her, and the rear of her carapace sat unnaturally in the water. 

A boat strike years earlier had left Grandma James permanently paralyzed from the back. Despite an injury that would seem impossible to survive, she continues to graze, breathe, and navigate the shallow bays of Koh Tao.

Watching her move slowly across the reef, I wasn't thinking about everything she had lost. I was thinking about everything she had overcome. 

As remarkable as Grandma James was, she wasn't alone. 

A small fish stayed close beside her throughout our encounter. At first, I assumed it was simply another cleaner fish. But the longer I watched, the more unusual the encounter became.

The fish had an injury and even carried a tiny parasite of its own. Despite its condition, it never strayed far from Grandma James. 

I photographed them together, wondering how many people had swum past without noticing this fascinating relationship and the quiet story unfolding just inches away.

The Future of Sea Turtles in Koh Tao

When I slip into the water now, I don't just hope to see a sea turtle. 

I hope to find Ripper grazing across the corals. Christy cruising through the shallows. Grandma James still proving that resilience is possible. 

I still think about Mr. Muscle, and how his story changed the way I look at every piece of plastic floating on the surface. 

The turtles of Koh Tao taught me that conservation isn't only about protecting a species. It's about protecting individuals, each with a life, a history, and a place in this remarkable island community. 

Before I came to Koh Tao, every sea turtle looked the same. Now I know them by name. 

And once you know their names, it's impossible not to care what happens to them.

By Jennifer Varner

As we celebrate 25 years of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU, we showcase some of the people, initiatives and communities that have contributed to marine turtle conservation across the region. Visit our Story Map to discover their stories.