Hawksbill Sea Turtle

The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle with a global range across tropical and subtropical marine and estuarine waters, the only living species in its genus, Eretmochelys. It is distinguished from other sea turtles by its sharp, curving, beak-like mouth and the saw-toothed edge of its shell, and it divides its life between the open ocean and shallow lagoons and coral reefs. Its patterned shell was long the primary source of tortoiseshell material used in decorative goods, a trade that, together with other human fishing pressures, has driven the species to critically endangered status, and international trade in hawksbills and their products is now regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.