Who's the fairest of them all?
If beauty is a curse, the hawksbill sea turtle would know.
Because of their beautiful and unique carapace, hawksbills have
been hunted since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Although
all hawksbill products are now banned from trade worldwide,
illegal trade in hawksbill products occurs in many countries.
In fact, because of a significant amount of illegal trade,
hawksbill populations have declined nearly 80% over the last
century. And they continue to shrink, even today when
protection is greater than ever.
Hawksbills live throughout the Caribbean sea and the
Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Although once common in
Florida, hawksbills are rarely seen there today because of
beach development, damage to coral reefs, marine pollution and
litter, and the presence of watercraft.
Hawksbills prefer shallow coasts, rocky places, and (most of
all) coral reefs as habitat and foraging grounds. They are
well-equipped for this type of environment, capable of climbing
over rocks and debris with ease. They also walk rather well on
land, eschewing the slow and cumbersome crawl seen in other sea
turtle species. Hawksbills are rarely found in the open ocean,
preferring to stay in waters no deeper than 65 feet. This gives
them some advantage over other sea turtles in that they are the
least likely to be caught in dragnets in deeper waters.
Nesting
Hawksbill nesting season takes place between April and
November, depending on location. Unlike all other sea turtle
species, hawksbills prefer to nest on small, isolated beaches
near vegetation and rocky areas that would discourage other sea
turtle species.
Hawksbill nesting grounds are widely dispersed throughout
their range; up to 25,000 females nest in 60 tropical and
subtropical countries. The Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is
currently the most important nesting beach for hawksbills,
accounting for 25–30% of all hawksbill nesting in the
Caribbean. Other nesting sites in the Caribbean include
Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Grenada, Cuba, the
U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Hawksbills nest two to
four times per season every two-to-three years. Each nest
contains approximately 160 eggs that incubate for 60 days
before hatchlings emerge.
Hatchlings are about 1.6 inches in length and weigh between
6–9 ounces.They are mainly black or very dark brown, except for
their shell edges, flippers, and neck, which are light brown.
Hawksbill hatchlings are often found floating among sea plant
life. They will reach reproductive maturity at about 20–50
years of age or at around 80 pounds.
Adult hawksbill's average 30-36 inches in length and weigh
between 60 and 190 pounds, but may be larger. The largest
hawksbill reported was 280 pounds. The edges of their coastal
scutes (sections of the outer carapace) are overlapping and
jagged—this trait is lacking however in very young and old
hawksbills.
What's in a Name?
The hawksbill gets its name from the shape of its beak,
which isn't quite as curved or pointed as a hawk's beak, but is
much more pronounced than that of other sea turtle species.
This beak and narrow head allow the hawksbill to reach food in
narrow crevices in rocks and coral reefs.
Hawksbills are omnivorous, consuming sea grasses, sea
urchins, barnacles, small animals and their favorite food,
sponges. Interestingly, some of the sponges and small animals
that hawksbills consume are toxic. However, the hawksbill's
body fat absorbs the toxins without making the turtle ill, but
their meat is potentially poisonous to humans. This
discourages, but does not stop, the harvesting of hawksbills
for meat.
Trade
The Hawksbill's translucent carapace contains a wide array
of colors, ranging from amber yellow to reddish brown, and has
a beautiful shine. It is sold as "tortoise shell" and made into
objects such as jewelry, hair clips, and souvenir trinkets.
Hawksbill oil, thought to have healing and strengthening
properties, is also used to make traditional medicines,
perfume, and cosmetics. Hawksbill eggs are collected for food,
and hawksbill skin for purses and other fashion accessories.
Sometimes entire juvenile hawksbills are stuffed and sold for
wall décor. Thousands are illegally sold annually in Singapore
and the Philippines. Although Japan outlawed imports of
hawksbill products in 1993, the country is still the main
consumer of tortoise shell products in the world. In Japan,
tortoise shell is highly prized and expensive, worth between
$50–$100 a pound.
Since 1970, the hawksbill has been listed as endangered
throughout U.S. waters under the Endangered Species Act.
Hawksbills are also on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES), which means all international
trade in hawksbills, their eggs, or any part of them is
forbidden for the countries who are parties to CITES.
Because of the hawksbills' wide migration throughout the
Caribbean, the cooperation of all nations in the area is
critical in protecting these populations. However, Cuba,
supported by turtle-trading countries such as Japan, has made
serious attempts to downlist the hawksbill to Appendix II in
order to allow a legal trade. Cuba has yet to succeed in
stripping the hawksbill of Appendix I protection, but continued
and diligent protection of hawksbill sea turtles is essential
to prevent extinction of this endangered species.
