The Hawksbill Sea Turtle [eretmochelys imbricata] at BWF. Come and see these beautiful creatures in our lagoon.

 

The hawksbill sea turtle is a small sea turtle that takes its species name (imbricata) from the overlapping plates on its upper shell. Moreover, it takes its common name from the shape of its hooked jaw.

The hawksbill sea turtle is one of the many species of turtle that is endangered. In has been hunted for its shell as well as for food. The most important reason while this species is facing extinction is the increasing number of hawksbill eggs that are stolen for food by humans and other predators. More than half of the eggs that a turtle lays are stolen.

They return to the water after the eggs have been laid. The hawksbill sea turtle has been known to be an aggressive species.

And for this reason the population of the turtle continues decreasing. It is illegal in many places to take these eggs. Many countries have created nature reserves in the breeding areas of this species to try to prevent the continuation of this practice.

The hawksbill sea turtle as many other sea turtles is omnivorous, feeding both on plant and animal material. It prefers grasses and other plants from the bottom of the ocean as well as from grass beds that float at different depths. The hawksbill sea turtle reproduces the same way as most other turtles. They come out of the water only during the breeding season. The rest of their lives are spent mostly in the water. They dig nests in the coastal sands and lay their eggs there.