They will also eat other invertebrates and algae found within coral reefs. The hawksbill’s diet consists primarily of sponges. Once the juveniles are approximately 8-10 inches long, they move to coral reefs where they’ll feed within the coral reef.

Hatchlings move directly to sea after hatching, often floating in masses of sea plants for several years and feeding at the surface. Hawksbill turtles occupy several different habitats depending on their age, but they are most commonly found near coral reefs. Their largest nesting location is in Australia. Hawksbill turtles nest in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, and several other tropical areas. According to the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Program, there are no sightings currently documented within New Jersey waters for this species. They can also be found from Texas to Florida. Within the U.S., they are common in the waters near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Within the Atlantic Ocean, they can be found from Brazil in the south to Massachusetts in the north, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Hawksbill turtles are circumpolar, inhabiting tropical and subtropical oceans in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. From late May until November, New Jersey coastal waters provide important seasonal foraging habitat to several species of sea turtles. Though most sea turtles inhabit warm tropical and subtropical waters, they migrate northward as water temperatures increase in the late spring and summer and remain in northern waters until late fall. When active, they often come to the surface to breathe, but can remain underwater for several hours at a time while resting. Unlike land turtles from which they evolved more than 150 million years ago, sea turtles spend almost their entire lives in the sea. Zoom+ This species does not normally occur off the coast of New Jersey. Adults are 30.4 to 35.6 inches and typically weigh between 94.6 and 165 pounds, but may weigh as much as 200 pounds. Juveniles, though, are the most vibrantly colored, with bold amber/brown/greenish/gold variegation. Hatchlings are mostly brown, with paler blotches on the rear part of the carapace, with small pale spots on the top of each scute along the plastron's two keels. The carapace of hatchlings and juveniles is wider than the shell of adults, with three keels of spines along the carapace which disappear with age. The dorsal, or upper, part of the head and flippers are darker, with less variation in color. Underneath, the plastron is amber colored. The scales of the head have creamy or yellow margins, while the carapace has an amber 'ground' color overlaid with spots or stripes of brown, red black and yellow usually arranged in a radiant, fan-shaped pattern. As is true of other sea turtles, males have stronger, more curved claws and longer tails than the females.Ĭolor varies widely, from very bright colors to heavy dark brown (in the eastern Pacific).

There are two claws on each fore and rear flipper. Its medium-sized head is narrow, with a pointed beak. Barnacles are often found on the carapace and plastron. The overlapping is most pronounced at maturity, but often disappears in older individuals. The most colorful sea turtle, the medium-sized hawksbill turtle has an elongated, oval shell with overlapping scutes on the carapace.

Species Group: Reptile Conservation Status

Hawksbill seaturtle