The name "hawksbill" refers to a bird's short pointed beak. On their shells, they have a peculiar pattern of interlocking scales that give the edges a serrated look. Due to their unique colors and patterns, their shells are quite valuable and sometimes referred to as "tortoiseshell" in marketplaces.
Hawksbills are mostly found along the tropical coasts of northern and eastern Australia, from mid-western Western Australia to southern Queensland, in coral reefs and in the tropical waters of the world. They mostly eat sponges, which they pull from reef using their tiny, pointed beaks. Although they also consume sea anemones and jellyfish. The only surviving members of a species of reptiles that have roamed our oceans for the past 100 million years are sea turtles. They are an essential component of marine ecosystems and support the health of the water and coral reefs.
Status: Critically Endangered
Population: Approximately 2000
Scientific Name: Eretmochelys imbricata
Weight: 45 - 68 kg
Length: 62 - 94 cm
Habitat: Oceans