Hawksbill Sea Turtle

The hawksbill sea turtle is unmistakable underwater: a relatively small, streamlined turtle with a distinctively pointed, beak-like snout and an ornate shell of overlapping scutes in warm amber and dark tones. Found in tropical and subtropical coral reef systems worldwide, hawksbills are specialist feeders, probing crevices and rubble for sponges, their primary diet. They are critically endangered, victims of shell trade and habitat loss, making any sighting a privilege and a reminder of conservation's urgency.