Sea Turtles

Sea turtles are the easiest "big animal" sighting in scuba, present at almost every tropical reef destination, year-round. Greens graze on seagrass beds; hawksbills pick at sponges and corals on the wall.

They're ancient reptiles that can rest underwater for 30+ minutes at a stretch (active foraging dives are usually much shorter), so encounters often last as long as you're prepared to hover. They're generally indifferent to divers; if you stay still you can watch them feed for entire 60-minute dives.

For first-timers: Havelock in the Andamans has more turtles per dive than almost anywhere in Asia. Maldives, Bali and Sipadan are reliable. Hawksbills are scarcer than greens, and Sipadan is the best place for both.