The Beautiful, Scarce Hawksbill Turtle

The Tragic Story of the The Hawksbill Turtle 

Alexander Kanter 

Picture Taken by Nick Caloyianis 

(http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/hawksbill-turtle/)

Summarize Description and Ecology of Organism

The Hawksbill Sea Turtle, or Eretmochelys imbricata, is one the most beautiful sea turtles to grace our oceans. Though not as large as other sea turtles, a distinct bill like nose separates the turtle from other ocean species. The Hawksbill is a carnivorous reptile, that lives an estimated 30 to 50 years in the wild (National Geographic, Fast Facts). Though smaller than its other relatives, the Hawksbill grows up to 45 inches and over 150 pounds (National Geographic, Fast Facts). In terms of diet, the Hawksbill usually eats sponges, but will also eat small fish, jellyfish, algae, and mollusks. Though they are predators to some, they are also prey to many, including: large fish, sharks, crocodiles, octopuses, and humans (National Geographic, Fast Facts).

Geographic and Population Changes

Map Provided by Nation Geographic 

The Lighter yellow shows the location of the Hawksbill current population.

(http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/hawksbill-turtle/) 

According to the recovery plan of the Hawksbill Turtle published by the Pacific Sea Turtle Recovery Team, the Hawksbill usually resides along the tropical coastline of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Because the turtle prefers eating sponges, they seek coastlines where sponges are abundant and beaches necessary for nesting are very close. In terms of population numbers, it is very hard to calculate exact numbers because of the highly migratory nature of sea turtles. In terms of the Pacific, the turtle used to be very common on nesting beaches in Mexico as recently as 50 years ago. There are now no known beaches that the turtles nest on along the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Listing Date and Type of Listing

The recovery plan for the Hawksbill Turtle was listed on the Environmental Conservation Online System on January 12, 1998. Because of the extremely low numbers of the Hawksbill Turtle, the turtle was listed as an endangered species, just like many other large turtles. Though the species as a whole is considered endangered, the Pacific populations are even more vulnerable to extinction compared the Atlantic and Indian Ocean population, according to the recovery report. 

Cause of listing and Main threats to its Continued Existence

According to the recovery report, “the harvest of the species for meat, eggs and the tortoiseshell and stuffed curio trade is of greatest impact” (Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations) to the species population. Growing human populations that are encroaching into the turtles habitat, specifically nesting beaches, is also a growing problem for the Hawksbill Turtle. Initially, the turtles were harvested for traditional and cultural reasons. This included eating the tissue and using the bones for different reasons in the Micronesian Islands. Nowadays, the turtles are still harvested for food, but they are also extremely vulnerable to by catch from all the fishing ships throughout the Pacific Ocean. Today, the turtle is commonly caught for its beautiful shell, known as “Tortoise Shell”, that is used for making in jewelry in many parts of the world. 

Titled “Underwater Sadness,” a photograph of a sea turtle caught in a net in the Sea of Cortés. 

Photo Source: Ramón Domínguez

Description of Recovery Plan

Because of the extremely low numbers of the Hawksbill Turtle, the recovery plan was to be put in action immediately, with the overall goal of delisting the species. One of the first steps in the recovery plan is “Stop the direct harvest of hawksbill turtles and eggs, through education and law enforcement actions” (Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations). Stopping the direct harvest of the turtle will help turtle numbers, while the education portion will help fisherman and other human populations understand how close this species is to extinction. Flowing this step, the recovery outline describes plans to help incidental Hawksbill death. This included teaching fisherman how to safely return the animal if obtained through by catch. Finally, preserving nesting beaches is of major importance: “Identify and protect primary nesting and foraging areas for the species” (Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations). Helping create a safe place for mothers to nest and for the young to grow is a major part of delisting this species in the future. According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the population of Hawksbill turtles have risen since the recovery plan was implemented. Their estimated numbers is now 20,000-23,000 nesting females, which is much better than it had before . 

Works Cited 

"Hawksbill Sea Turtles." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 June 2015.

"Information About Sea Turtles: Hawksbill Sea Turtle." Sea Turtle Conservancy. N.p., 2004. Web. 02 June 2015.

National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998. Recovery Plan for U.S. Pacific Populations of the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD.