Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Identification: Fairly small, carapace 50 - 95 cm. Overall body mass 40 - 60 kg. Carapace eliptical. Scutes strongly imbricated at maturity but this overlapping characteristic is lost when older. Both fore and rear flippers have two claws, larger in the males. Head narrow, with a pointed snout. Stripes and spots of brown, red, black and yellow on an amber background. Underside yellow.
Range: Most tropical of the marine turtles, it is distributed throughout the central Atlantic and Pacific.
Habitat: It favours clear, relatively shallow water of coastal reefs, bays, estuaries and lagoons.
Habits: Generally nests alone or in small groups so reducing the effects of egg poaching. A fairly agile turtle, it is able to scramble over rocks and roots to nest in the shade of vegetation. A feature peculiar to this species. Carnivorous: hunts in the crevices in rocks and corals up to depths of 100m. Diet includes corals, tunicates, algae and sponges.
How to find: Rare in temperate waters. The chance of seeing one in the seas around the British Isles is very small.