Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata A.K.A. hawksbill sea turtles can travel from 500 up to 1000 miles between nesting beaches and foraging areas some populations such as Hawksbills and Hawaii and why and regions migrate shorter distances. Hawksbills use a variety of different habitats during different stages of their life cycle. For the most part hawksbill turtles stay near foraging areas, for the most part, baby turtles will swim out to the open sea and live plant life floating in the ocean. There are great bundles of kelp and algae which clumps together into vast mats and drift on the currents of the ocean.  A large population of hawksbill sea turtles has been found in the mangroves of the eastern Pacific ocean.

The hawksbill sea turtle feeds primarily on sponges.  the sea turtle will eat small fish and jellyfish even though it prefers to eat sponges. it uses its beak to get to the sponges it likes to eat on the coral reef. Some of their diets include marine algae parts of corals, mollusks, tunicates, small crustaceans, sea urchins, small fish, jellyfish, and the occasional anemone.

Hawkbill’s lifespan is estimated to be somewhere near 50 or 60 years, even though humanity as a whole has not observed the hawkbill's full lifespan. Hawkbills are also estimated to reach maturity between 20 to 35 years of age, every one to five years female hawkbill turtles will return to nest on beaches in general areas where they hatched decades earlier. Hawkbills will lay three to five nests per season and each nest will contain an average of 130 to 160 eggs. Each nesting season is different depending on the location and ranges from April to November. The eggs are laid during the night High up on the beach underneath or inside of vegetation. The beaches that they choose as nesting sites have little to no send or a rocky surface. The eggs incubate for about two months when they hatch. This is the beginning of the battle For the turtles, as they make their way out of the sand predators like coyotes and foxes wait for them in the brush. On their way to the water seagulls and other birds wait for the chance to eat the small soft turtle. Sometimes they don't even get eaten they just get pierced by a beak and left on the beach. A forgotten meal.

The hawksbill sea turtle is on the endangered species list throughout its entire range of habitats. This turtle is listed on the international list as critically endangered meaning there is a high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. The US endangered species conservation act was established in 1970 in order to attempt to protect sea turtles and their habitats. There are fisheries with are there many countries including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service which protect nesting beaches to attempt to assist in the survival of the species.