Despite their protection under CITES, as well as under many national laws, there is still a large amount of trade in hawksbills products, and this probably constitutes the major threat to the species.

Hawksbills declined globally by over 80% during the last century.

There are difficulties in accurately assessing population size, but a recent estimate of adult nesting females of 8,000+ has been made. There are only 5 populations worldwide with more than 1,000 females nesting annually. There is evidence that a nesting colony on Milman Island in Queensland, Australia is the largest hawksbill population in the world.

Physical Description

The shell is thin, flexible and highly coloured with elaborate patterns. The carapace of the hawksbill is unusual amongst the marine turtles as the scutes (the hard, bony plates that constitute the shell) are overlapping. These are often streaked and marbled with amber, yellow or brown, most evident when the shell material is worked and polished. As the English name suggests, the hawksbill has a narrow pointed beak reminiscent of a bird of prey.

In the past, the hawksbill was thought be less migratory than the other species of marine turtles. However, more recent work involving satellite telemetry has revealed that the species does make long distance migrations.

Size

Usually less than 1m in length, weighing 40-60kg.

Colour

The scutes  are often streaked and marbled with amber, yellow or brown.

Breeding

Nesting occurs widely throughout the range, but tends to be more dispersed than in other species. There are seldom more than a few hundred nests on a single beach, and few major colonial nesting beaches. It has been suggested that this is simply a result of centuries of over-exploitation.

The hawksbill appears to nest every 2 to 3 years and lays 60 to 200 eggs at a time. The hawksbill often nests close to coral reefs, and can be encountered by snorkellers and scuba-divers at localities where turtle habitat is in good condition.

Diet

Hawksbill turtles are mainly carnivorous and use their narrow beaks to extract invertebrate prey from crevices on the reef. Both sessile and mobile animals are eaten and hawksbills appear to be opportunistic predators, although sponges normally constitute a major proportion of their diet.

The main threats which affect marine turtles are:

• Habitat loss and degradation
• Wildlife trade
• Collection of eggs and meat for consumption
• Incidental capture (bycatch)
• Climate change
• Pollution

Hawksbill turtles are particulary threatened by wildlife trade. They are much sought after throughout the tropics for their beautiful brown and yellow carapace plates that are manufactured into tortoiseshell items ("carey" or "bekko") for jewellery and ornaments. In recent decades, eastern Asia has provided an eager market for tortoiseshell. Despite their current protection under CITES and many national laws, there is still a disturbingly large amount of illegal trade in hawksbill shells and products.

Juvenile hawksbills, and other marine turtles, are often collected and stuffed for sale as tourist curios. Although many countries have banned this trade, it still occurs. Stuffed hawksbills were openly on sale at Hanoi's international airport in 1998. Harvest for domestic trade still occurs in many countries of the Caribbean, South-East Asia and Polynesia.

• Send a turtle to rehab! Help the recuperation process for thousands of sick and injured turtles.
• Check what that souvenir is made from! Don't buy products which have been made from sea turtle parts. Guitars, ashtrays, jewellry and other products made from sea turtles are sold to tourists around the world.