Looking very much like other sea turtles, with a flattened body shape and long flippers, the Hawksbill turtle gets its name from the shape of its beak, which is sharp and curved. It’s shell margins have sawtoothed edges, and interestingly, the turtle’s shell changes color slightly as water temperature changes. Usually encountered in shallow lagoons and along coral reefs, it was once hunted extensively for its shell, which was a primary source of tortoiseshell used for jewelry and other decorative purposes. Today, the turtles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which outlaws the trade of products derived from their bodies; as well as the capture or trade of the turtles themselves. Let’s take a closer look at these intriguing and beautiful animals.
Meet the Hawksbill Turtle
While Hawksbills look much like other turtles from a distance, they have a distinct appearance, once you get a bit closer. Their front flippers have two claws, and their shells have a distinct amber background with a streaked or mottled pattern of lighter browns and darker shades that can be very dark brown to black. Usually weighing in at about 180 pounds and growing to about three feet long, they are smaller than many other species; the heaviest specimen recorded was only 280 pounds, much lighter than the turtle’s closest cousins’ average weight. The turtle’s head is elongated, tapering off to end in its trademark beak, which it uses to capture its prey.
Dining on venomous cnidarians, the hawksbill is consumed less often than other turtles, primarily because its flesh can be toxic; they are still consumed in some places, including China. If you get the chance to watch them feeding, particularly if they are eating a species that stings, such as the man o’ war jellyfish, you’ll notice that they tend to close their eyes to eat. Their eyelids have a special armored coating which prevents the turtles from being injured as they feast.
Hawksbills are very slow to mature, as are other sea turtles; often, they die or are killed before reaching sexual maturity at the age of between ten and thirty years old. A healthy hawksbill can live for as long as about fifty years. Highly migratory, the turtles mate biannually and nest on remote island beaches throughout their range. Researchers in Florida and the Caribbean have found that hawksbill nests generally contain up to 140 eggs or so; many of these are eaten by predators, as are many hatchlings.
You’ll find Hawksbill turtles in places such as the Caribbean, Florida, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the east coast of Africa, as well as throughout Australia and New Zealand. The turtles have a highly successful nesting population around Seychelles, and they feed and nest throughout Central and South America, as well, and their population is doing well in the Hawaiian Islands. Subject to death due to human encroachment and pollution, these turtles are now better protected than ever before. With continuing conservation efforts, it is hoped that the species can survive.