Amber Johnston
Our featured sea turtle on this “turtley” cool Tuesday is the hawksbill!
The hawksbill is named for its narrow head and sharp, bird-like beak, hawksbills can reach into cracks and crevices of coral reefs looking for food. Their diet is very specialized, feeding almost exclusively on sponges. However, they also do occasionally eat corals, mollusks, crustaceans, small fish and jellies.
Considered by many to be the most beautiful of sea turtles for their colorful shells, the hawksbill is found in tropical waters around the world. They spend their time in coral reefs, rocky areas, lagoons, mangroves, oceanic islands, and shallow coastal areas.
Hawksbills reach maturity at 20-35 years and are estimated to live to 50-60 years old. Like most of the other sea turtles we have explored this past week, hawksbill nest 3-5 times per season and lay up to 200 eggs per nest. Eggs incubate for roughly 2 months before hatching. They prefer beaches with vegetation where they can nest under or in.
Their population has declined more than 80% in the last century, primarily due to the trade in their beautiful carapace (shell), also referred to as “tortoiseshell.” Its carapace, brightly colored with intricate designs, is traded internationally for ornamental purposes. The shell is used for items such as jewelry, combs and brushes, and inlay in furniture and other decorative pieces. Hawksbills were hunted almost to extinction prior to the ban on the tortoiseshell trade; Japan imported an estimated 2 million turtles between 1950 and 1992. Despite the fact that the international trade of their shells is now illegal, there is still a thriving black market.