Everyone loves sea turtles. It seems like all people talk about nowadays is “save the sea turtles” when using metal straws instead of plastic. Its time to dive back under the sea with this critically endangered animal: the Hawksbill Sea Turtle. The hawksbill is found in the ocean in tropical areas, with subspecies in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Their habitat mostly consists of coral reefs, and they feed off of the sponges growing there. They also eat sea anemones and jellyfish around the reefs. Sea turtles, not just this species, are extremely vital to the coral reef ecosystem because once they eat the sponges off of the surface, reef fish have better spots to feed, benefitting the entire ecosystem. Turtles don’t only have significance in the ecosystem, but they also have great importance to people around the world as well. Sea turtles have significance in many native populations around the globe, and today serve as a strong source of tourism in these areas. Without the turtles, many communities would lose a vital source of income.

Fig. 1 Hawksbill Sea Turtle

These are great and all, but the important point is that Hawksbill Sea Turtles have become critically endangered. One of my previous posts covered the dying coral reefs, and this was bound to have affected the sea turtle populations as well. This has had an effect on the turtles, but what’s causing them the most harm by far is humans. Coastal development has ruined the nesting sites of these turtles by either completely destroying them, or altering them in a way that the turtles are unlikely to return.

Hawksbill sea turtles are extremely easily caught in fishing nets, and because they need to periodically go to the surface to breathe, once they are caught, many drown. Since the fishing industry in many areas is continuing to increase in productivity, more and more of these turtles are suffering because they can’t get unhooked from these lines and nets in time.

Fig. 2 Hawksbill Sea Turtle 2

There is also the issue of the illegal wildlife trade. Even though there are many laws in many countries protecting this endangered turtle, their shells still sell for big prices in the illegal trade. The shell of the hawksbill is a unique brown and yellow, making it ideal for illegal makers of ornaments and jewelry. There is also a popular trade in Hawksbill eggs, which are seen as a delicacy in some places.

This amazing turtle species is under direct threat by humans, and personally I see this as an issue. People constantly talk about plastic straws as the cause of declining turtle populations, but there are also some very large issues at hand. From the destruction of nesting sites to fishing mishaps to illegal traders, the turtle population is at one of its worst declines.