6 of the best places to swim with turtles

Coco Island, enclosed in warm crystal clear waters, is a natural aquarium. The island is surrounded by a wealth of coral reef and home to an abundance of underwater life including rays, dolphins and whale sharks. The island is also the perfect place to swim amid Hawksbill sea turtles. The Seychelles holds the largest population of Hawksbills so they can often be sighted swimming around the shores of Coco Island.

After a day of exploring the underwater world, anchor at the picturesque island of La Digue, the smallest of the three inhabited islands in the Seychelles. Relax on deck, sip on tropical cocktails and soak up the laid back atmosphere of the quite island.

St Barths is undoubtedly home to some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, but if swimming with turtles is on your bucket list a trip to Colombier beach is a must.

Situated on the northeast side of the island, the beach is a small, secluded stretch of glistening white sand, perfect if you want to spend the day away from the crowds of the main town, Gustavia. The bay is part of the Reserve Naturelle Saint-Barthélemy, making it the perfect spot to swim with turtles. If you prefer diving to snorkelling then head straight to the Kayali wreck, one of the best dive sites in the Caribbean, and a guaranteed spot for seeing sea turtles.

The extremely exclusive Gustavia Port, which can hosts vessels up to 152 metres, is only a few minutes from Colombier Beach by boat. The port is perfectly located in the centre of the towns bustling strip, making it the perfect base for exploring St Barth’s on your superyacht.

Some of the most impressive Turks and Caicos snorkelling spots can be found on the northwest island of Providenciales. The island is host to some of the largest reef systems in the world, a perfect spot for swimming with turtles.

The best place to see these majestic creatures is Coral Gardens, a spectacular reef situated off Grace Bay on the northeast side of the island. The waters surrounding the reef are the calmest in the area making them perfect for swimming and snorkelling. You can also catch a glimpse of the sea turtle further towards shore on the Bright Reef, a smaller but equally spectacular snorkelling site.

Superyachts up to 67 metres can moor at the Blue Haven Marina, situated to the northeast of Providenciales.

The Maldives is a snorkeler’s paradise, and is host to many incredible dive spots. While sea turtles can be spotted all over the Maldives, the Ari Atoll is recognised as one of the best in the archipelago for marine life. The Atoll is a large lagoon of glistening turquoise water and an incredibly rich reef of rainbow colours lies beneath. The Hukurudhoo Uthuru Kandu, a main channel through Ari Atoll, is the best place for spotting sea turtles and the coral here is particularly vibrant.

You can spend the night anchored off the Ari Beach Resort and either tender to shore for a spot of dinner or just relax on deck and enjoy the beautiful Maldivian sunset.

The secluded island of Koh Phra Thong is on the west coast of Thailand. Surrounded by some of the Andaman Sea’s most breathtaking coral reefs, the unspoilt island is the perfect location for snorkelling with Thailand’s underwater treasures.

Turtles and Black reef sharks are not rare as the warm translucent waters make the perfect habit for these beautiful creatures. The island’s expanse of undeveloped white sandy beaches are popular nesting spots for sea turtles making sightings almost a guarantee. Phra Thong has it’s own conservation project to protect the turtles, talks on the project and tours of the nesting sites are given from The Golden Buddah resort located on the west side of the island.

This trip is perfect for anyone exploring Thailand and Myanmar on a luxury yacht – cruise north from Phuket, stopping to enjoy the beautiful Similan Islands, then simply drop anchor and tender to the island.

The Mediterranean water is host a variety of marine life and its stunning coral reefs make it perfect for any underwater explorer. The Ionian island of Kefalonia is one of the only places in Europe you will find Loggerhead sea turtles.

Although sightings are rare, they are not unheard of. The secluded beaches on the south side of the island are not only the most picturesque but also the best for spotting this Mediterranean species.

Yachts up to 30 metres can moor at Argostoli Marina, otherwise larger vessels can drop anchor and tender to one of the many small marinas around the island.