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| The Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) Sea turtles are reptiles, meaning that they are cold-blooded, air-breathing vertebrates with scaly skin. Seven species are recognized worldwide, and six of these species are found in and around the Caribbean: the Leatherback, Green, Loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, Olive ridley and Hawksbill. All sea turtle species found in the Caribbean region are considered endangered or critically endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The hawksbill is one of the smaller sea turtles, found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the world's oceans. |
| Diet Hawksbills feed primarily on sea-sponges that grow among coral reefs. The sponges that they eat contain glass needles called "spicules". It's one of nature's wonders that hawksbills can live on a diet of glass! Nesting Female hawksbills reach sexual maturity at 20 to 30 years of age. They mate (often with multiple males) while swimming and are able to store sperm for an extended period. Amazingly, they will travel hundreds of miles from their foraging grounds and return to the region of the beach (not necessarily the exact same beach) from which they hatched decades earlier to deposit their eggs. They prefer to nest on small "pocket beaches" with natural vegetation. Because hawksbills are small and agile, they are able to access maritime forest and conceal their nests within dense beach shrubbery, a unique behavior among sea turtle species. Hawksbills nest every two, three or four years. Gravid females (those carrying eggs) will emerge onto the beach and excavate a 0.5 m deep chamber with their rear flippers. Digging may take over an hour and some females make multiple digging attempts before depositing eggs. Once the turtle starts laying, it only takes about 20 minutes to lay 150 "ping-pong ball-shaped" eggs. Witnessing this nesting event is an awesome experience for those lucky enough to be there when it happens. Each turtle will lay four to six nests a season in two-week intervals. If a turtle lays five clutches, she produces about 750 eggs in one nesting season. Very few hatchlings survive to maturity - some estimates state that only about 1 in 1,000 hatchlings survive to reproductive age. This means that a hawksbill must reproduce for nine years (4.5 nesting seasons) in order to replace herself once. Harvest and Use Historically, hawksbills have been harvested for their highly valued carapace. "Tortoiseshell" jewelry and trinkets come from the polished and shaped scutes (plates) that make up the carapace. Their meat and eggs have been used for human consumption as well. Unfortunately, over-harvesting is one of the major causes of the decline in hawksbill populations worldwide. International trade in tortoiseshell is now banned and many governments have passed legislation against its sale. |
| Description The hawksbill is named for its distinctive beak-like bill, which is adapted for picking sponges from coral reefs. Its beautiful shell is patterned with gold and brown colors. The Jumby Bay adult females weigh between 40 and 60 kg (88 to 130 lbs) and their shell lengths range from about 75 to 95 cm (30 to 37 in). |
| Photo: Martha Watkins Gilkes |
| Photo: Martha Watkins Gilkes |