Hawksbill Turtle in the Great Barrier Reef

Common Name: Hawksbill Turtle
Family: Cheloniidae

This critically endangered marine turtle has been exploited for thousands of years as the sole source of commercial tortoiseshell.  The beautiful carapace is generally streaked and marbled with amber, yellow or brown and often has a strongly serrated edge.  Unlike other species, the scales of the carapace overlap.  The narrow head and strongly hooked beak give rise to this turtle's common name.

Hawksbill turtles are found throughout the world in tropical waters and are known to nest on beaches in at least 60 countries.  Recent evidence indicates that hawksbills take part in long distance migrations with breeding and feeding grounds in very different locations, although they tend to be more sedentary and move less than other turtle species.

Hawksbills may take decades to mature and it could be between 20 to 40 years before they are ready to breed.  Upon reaching sexual maturity, a female will typically lay up to 5 clutches of around 100 to 140 eggs in one breeding season and then wait a few years before nesting again.  Nesting is much more dispersed than in other marine turtles, but individuals do tend to return to a particular beach season after season.  Having survived the dash to the sea, hatchlings are believed to spend their first few years in the open ocean before returning to more sheltered coastal waters.  Recent studies indicate that the oceanic phase may be shorter for hawksbills, or even omitted in certain regions, as hatchlings swim less vigorously than those of other species.  Probably less than one out of 1000 eggs will survive and reach adulthood.

Adults are opportunistic predators, using their sharp beak to prize invertebrate prey from crevices within the reef. Unusually amongst marine animals to whom they are often unpalatable and highly poisonous, sponges make up the majority of the hawksbill's diet.

The high prices obtained for the shell, thwart attempts to protect this turtle.  A shell can sell for $50 to $60 per pound.  In Japan, where the market is incredibly high, a shell might sell for up to $100 per pound.  Immature stuffed specimens of this species are also popular.  In Singapore and the Philippines, 32,000 to 105,000 stuffed hawksbills are sold annually.  Please avoid purchasing any items like this, as whilst ever there is a market for these products these beautiful animals will continue to be killed.

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