Hawksbill Turtle on a Coral Reef

Synopsis

Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are named for their narrow, pointed beak. They also have a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales on their shells that form a serrated-look on the edges. Hawksbills are found mainly throughout the world's tropical oceans, predominantly in coral reefs. They feed on sponges by using their narrow pointed beaks to extract them from crevices on the reef, but also sea anemones and jellyfish. Hawksbills often nest in small numbers, and usually on remote beaches. The largest populations are found in the west Atlantic (Caribbean), Indian, and Indo-Pacific Oceans.The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Approximately 40% of the Red Sea is quite shallow (less than 100 m (330 ft) deep), and about 25% is less than 50 m (164 ft) deep. The extensive shallow shelves are noted for their marine life and corals. More than 1,000 invertebrate species and 200 types of soft and hard coral live in the sea.

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Credit

Images freely available on Open Planet

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Production Companies

Scarlet View Media

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Additional Credits

David Diley

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