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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Animals

Turtles

Hawksbill turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata

Hawksbills often work reef cracks with their narrow, hawk-like beak, but some populations live in mangrove estuaries and feed in very different ways.

Critically EndangeredIn 88 Atlas countries

Critically Endangered (IUCN, 2008) means it is at extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Hawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profile
Photo: Kris-Mikael Krister on Unsplash
Hawksbill turtle swimming in green-blue water
Photo: Naail Hussain on Unsplash
Hawksbill turtle swimming in shallow sunlit water
Photo: Adolfo Félix on Unsplash
Hawksbill turtle swimming over a Red Sea reef
Photo: NEOM on Unsplash
Hawksbill turtle swimming above a coral reef
Photo: Olga ga on Unsplash
Hawksbill turtle swimming above white sand
Photo: Flaviu Costin on Unsplash
Hawksbill turtle gliding over the reef
Photo: Giorgia Doglioni on Unsplash

Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.

Length

Shell (carapace) usually about 0.6 to 1.07 m (2 to 3.5 ft) long

Weight

Usually about 45 to 68 kg (100 to 150 lb); up to about 90 kg (200 lb)

Next to a person

Next to an adult, the shell is roughly knee-high to waist-high

What it eats

On coral reefs often mainly sponges, plus algae, corals, molluscs, tunicates, crustaceans, sea urchins, small fish and jellyfish. The diet differs by place; in the Eastern Pacific some also eat mangrove seeds.

Around people

Calm, give space

How it lives

The hawksbill uses its narrow, pointed beak to pick sponges and other food from cracks in the reef. Many travel between feeding and nesting grounds, but distances differ by population. Females nest every 1 to 5 years, laying 3 to 5 nests of 130 to 160 eggs in a season, and turtles take 20 to 35 years to become adults.

Where it goes

Many hawksbills migrate between feeding areas and nesting beaches, and females return to nest every 1 to 5 years. In the Eastern Pacific, many use mangrove estuaries and make shorter trips. Tracked females in the western Caribbean swam about 434 to 619 km from Utila and Tortuguero to feeding areas, and one female from Buck Island, US Virgin Islands, was tracked about 1,867 km to the Miskito Cays, Nicaragua.

Populations

About 2,000 hawksbills nest each year at the Arnavon Islands in the Solomon Islands, about 2,000 in Indonesia and about 1,000 in Seychelles. Around the Gili Islands, 51 hawksbills were identified from photos in 2019, and about 150 since 2016. Around Amed and Tulamben in Bali, hawksbills are common.

Meet it respectfully

Never touch, chase, feed, surround or block a turtle, and let it choose how close to come. Keep encounters short and quiet. We keep at least 3 m (10 ft) from turtles and follow local park rules, which differ by place. Never buy tortoiseshell products.

Fun fact

Tap the bulb to light it up.

Where it goes

Follow its journey

Choose a journey and watch it travel. Every line comes from satellite tracking or documented research, and the source is named.

StartEndJourney (the line joins documented areas; real paths vary)

Where you may meet it

Hawksbill turtle in the Ocean Atlas

Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.

FijiTanzaniaW. SaharaCanadaUnited States of AmericaKazakhstanUzbekistanPapua New GuineaIndonesiaArgentinaChileDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSudanChadHaitiDominican Rep.RussiaBahamasFalkland Is.NorwayGreenlandFr. S. Antarctic LandsTimor-LesteSouth AfricaLesothoMexicoUruguayBrazilBoliviaPeruColombiaPanamaCosta RicaNicaraguaHondurasEl SalvadorGuatemalaBelizeVenezuelaGuyanaSurinameFranceEcuadorPuerto RicoJamaicaCubaZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiIsraelLebanonMadagascarPalestineGambiaTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanCambodiaThailandLaosMyanmarVietnamNorth KoreaSouth KoreaMongoliaIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandNew CaledoniaSolomon Is.New ZealandAustraliaSri LankaChinaTaiwanItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomIcelandAzerbaijanGeorgiaPhilippinesMalaysiaBruneiSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaEritreaJapanParaguayYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandUgandaRwandaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoTrinidad and TobagoS. SudanMoʻorea, French PolynesiaRurutu, French PolynesiaAmed, Bali, IndonesiaGili Trawangan, IndonesiaKomodo, IndonesiaGili Air, IndonesiaMaratua and Derawan, IndonesiaRaja Ampat, IndonesiaNusa Penida, IndonesiaLovina, Bali, IndonesiaOkinawa, JapanAqaba, JordanPerhentian Islands, MalaysiaTioman Island, MalaysiaCoron, Palawan, PhilippinesMoalboal, Cebu, PhilippinesPanglao and Balicasag, Bohol, PhilippinesSiquijor, PhilippinesApo Island and Dauin, PhilippinesApo Reef, PhilippinesBoracay, PhilippinesEl Nido and Bacuit Bay, PhilippinesPort Barton and San Vicente, PhilippinesTubbataha Reefs, PhilippinesArnavon Community Marine Park, Solomon IslandsGizo and Western Province, Solomon IslandsMarovo Lagoon and Uepi, Solomon IslandsMunda and Roviana Lagoon, Solomon IslandsFlorida Keys (Key Largo), United StatesLa Jolla and the Channel Islands, United StatesMaui, United StatesOʻahu, United StatesSan Diego and La Jolla, United StatesJuneau and Southeast Alaska, United StatesGlacier Bay, United StatesSeward and Kenai Fjords, United StatesCham Islands and Hoi An, VietnamCon Dao, VietnamNha Trang, VietnamPhu Quoc, VietnamDe Gi coast, VietnamUmluj and the Red Sea islands, Saudi ArabiaYanbu, Saudi ArabiaJeddah and Obhur, Saudi ArabiaAl Lith, Saudi ArabiaGulf of Aqaba coast, Saudi ArabiaLa Ventana, MexicoGuadalupe Island, MexicoRoatán, HondurasUtila, HondurasGuanaja, HondurasCayos Cochinos, HondurasDrake and Caño, Costa RicaQuepos and Golfo Dulce, Costa RicaBaird Bay and Eyre Peninsula, AustraliaBarunguba and Narooma, AustraliaBremer Bay, AustraliaCairns, Port Douglas and the Ribbon Reefs, AustraliaChristmas Island, AustraliaCocos (Keeling) Islands, AustraliaLady Elliot Island, AustraliaLord Howe Island, AustraliaNingaloo, AustraliaRowley Shoals, AustraliaTasman Peninsula and Eaglehawk Neck, AustraliaMaria Island and the east coast, AustraliaLa Digue, SeychellesMahé, SeychellesPraslin and Curieuse, SeychellesSanta Catalina and Coiba, PanamaGulf of Chiriquí, PanamaPearl Islands, PanamaIsla Iguana and Isla Cañas, PanamaBocas del Toro and Bastimentos, PanamaGuna Yala, PanamaBimini, The BahamasAndros, The BahamasExuma Cays, The BahamasEleuthera, The BahamasFernando de Noronha, BrazilAbrolhos, BrazilPraia do Forte, BrazilSanta Catarina whale coast, BrazilBonito, BrazilTamarin and Flic en Flac, MauritiusBlue Bay and Mahébourg, MauritiusBelle Mare, MauritiusRodrigues, MauritiusLagos coast and Lekki, NigeriaBadagry coast, NigeriaWatamu, KenyaDiani, KenyaShimoni and Kisite, KenyaLittle Cayman, Cayman IslandsGrand Cayman, Cayman IslandsCayman Brac, Cayman IslandsWestpunt, CuraçaoWillemstad and the central coast, CuraçaoCuraçao Marine Park (southeast coast), CuraçaoKlein Curaçao, CuraçaoLos Cóbanos, El SalvadorJiquilisco Bay, El SalvadorCorn Islands, NicaraguaSan Juan del Sur and La Flor, NicaraguaChacocente, NicaraguaCôte des Arcadins, HaitiÎle-à-Vache, HaitiThree Bays Protected Area, HaitiGrand Turk, Turks and Caicos IslandsSalt Cay, Turks and Caicos IslandsProvidenciales and Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos IslandsWest Caicos and French Cay, Turks and Caicos IslandsSalt Island and the RMS Rhone, British Virgin IslandsNorman Island and the Indians, British Virgin IslandsVirgin Gorda, British Virgin IslandsAnegada and Horseshoe Reef, British Virgin IslandsCades Reef and the southwest coast, Antigua and BarbudaEnglish Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua and BarbudaBarbuda and Codrington Lagoon, Antigua and BarbudaSoufrière and the Pitons, Saint LuciaAnse Chastanet, Saint LuciaWest coast deep water, Saint LuciaGrande Anse, Saint LuciaSpeyside and Little Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoBuccoo Reef, Trinidad and TobagoTurtle Beach, Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoGrande Riviere, Trinidad, Trinidad and TobagoSwatch of No Ground, BangladeshSundarbans, BangladeshCox's Bazar and Sonadia, BangladeshSaint Martin's Island, BangladeshMergui Archipelago and Burma Banks, MyanmarLampi Marine National Park, MyanmarAyeyarwady River dolphins, MyanmarKoh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, CambodiaKep and the Kampot seagrass, CambodiaKratie and the Mekong dolphin pools, CambodiaHoi Ha Wan and the Sai Kung coast, Hong KongWest and South Lantau, Hong KongSham Wan, Lamma Island, Hong KongHawar Islands, BahrainNorthern pearl beds and reefs, BahrainKubbar Island, KuwaitQaruh and Umm Al Maradim, KuwaitKarachi turtle beaches (Hawksbay and Sandspit), PakistanChurna Island, PakistanAstola Island, PakistanDaran Beach, Jiwani, PakistanKish Island, IranHengam Island and Dolphins' Bay, IranQeshm Island and the Hara mangroves, IranDayer-Nakhiloo Marine National Park, IranXiaoliuqiu, TaiwanHualien, TaiwanAnjouan, ComorosGrande Comore, ComorosMohéli, ComorosPort Antonio and Negril, JamaicaDhofar and the Hallaniyat Islands, OmanMusandam and Khasab, OmanMuscat and the Daymaniyat Islands, OmanUpolu and Savaiʻi, SamoaTrincomalee and Nilaveli, Sri LankaAbu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesBouche du Roy and Grand-Popo, BeninRas Hafun to Alula coast, SomaliaBajuni Islands, SomaliaBolong Fenyo, Gunjur, GambiaTanji Karinti Bird Reserve, GambiaOrango Grande and Orango National Park, Guinea-BissauPoilao Island, Guinea-BissauSouthern Bioko beaches, Equatorial GuineaConkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of the CongoPointe-Noire coast, Republic of the CongoParke Marino, ArubaPalm Beach and West Point, ArubaLe Carbet and the Caribbean coast, MartiniqueMayotte lagoon, MayotteFlying Fish Cove and the reef walls, Christmas IslandKavieng and New Ireland, Papua New GuineaKimbe Bay, Papua New GuineaMilne Bay, Papua New GuineaTufi (Oro Province), Papua New GuineaIfaty and Mangily, MadagascarNosy Be, MadagascarÎle Sainte-Marie, MadagascarRéunion, RéunionMalpelo, ColombiaGorgona, ColombiaNuquí, Bahía Solano and Utría, ColombiaProvidencia and Santa Catalina, ColombiaSan Andrés, ColombiaDahab, EgyptMarsa Alam, EgyptFuvahmulah, MaldivesHanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, MaldivesSouth Ari Atoll, MaldivesBayahibe and the south coast, Dominican RepublicGalápagos, EcuadorBourail, Poé and Déva, New CaledoniaNouméa and the Great Southern Lagoon, New CaledoniaPoindimié and Hienghène, New CaledoniaÎle des Pins (Kunié), New CaledoniaKhao Lak, Similan and Surin Islands, ThailandKoh Lanta and Hin Daeng, ThailandKoh Tao, ThailandKoror and the Rock Islands, PalauAliwal Shoal and Umkomaas, South AfricaCape Town and Hermanus, South AfricaSodwana Bay, South AfricaPlacencia and the Southern Reef, BelizeKadavu and the Great Astrolabe Reef, FijiPacific Harbour and Beqa Lagoon, FijiSavusavu and Vanua Levu, FijiTaveuni and Viani Bay, FijiYasawa and Drawaqa Manta Channel, FijiLakshadweep (Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat), IndiaNetrani and Murudeshwar, IndiaSwaraj Dweep (Havelock) and Barren Island, IndiaMafia Island, TanzaniaMikindani and Mnazi Bay, TanzaniaZanzibar - Matemwe, Mnemba and Chumbe, TanzaniaEilat and the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, IsraelEfate, Havannah Harbour and Moso, VanuatuEspiritu Santo and Aore, VanuatuMaskelyne Islands and South Malekula, VanuatuTanna, VanuatuMajuro Atoll, Marshall IslandsKwajalein Atoll, Marshall IslandsTofo, MozambiqueDominica, DominicaCabo de Palos and Cartagena, SpainEl Hierro and La Restinga, SpainFormentera, SpainFuerteventura, SpainGran Canaria, SpainIbiza, SpainJávea (Xàbia), SpainL'Estartit and the Medes Islands, SpainLa Herradura and Costa Tropical, SpainLa Palma, SpainLanzarote, SpainMallorca, SpainMenorca, SpainMálaga and the Costa del Sol, SpainTabarca and Alicante, SpainTarifa and the Strait of Gibraltar, SpainTenerife, SpainEmily Bay and Slaughter Bay, Norfolk IslandAitutaki, Cook IslandsRarotonga, Cook IslandsReef platform and north shore, BermudaAjaccio and the Gulf of Ajaccio, FranceBonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and the Lavezzi Islands, FranceMarseille, the Calanques and Cassis, FrancePort-Cros, Porquerolles and Hyères, FranceVillefranche-sur-Mer and Nice, FranceKaikōura, New ZealandPoor Knights Islands, New ZealandBay of Islands, New ZealandHauraki Gulf, New ZealandAkaroa and Banks Peninsula, New ZealandGuam, GuamFaial and Horta, PortugalMadeira, PortugalPico (Madalena and Lajes), PortugalPrincess Alice Bank, PortugalPort Sudan reefs and Sanganeb, SudanDungonab Bay, SudanWuzhizhou Island, Sanya, ChinaSanya coral coast, ChinaXiamen Bay, ChinaAmatique Bay and Livingston, GuatemalaIztapa, Guatemala

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Antigua and BarbudaArubaAustraliaThe BahamasBahrainBangladeshBelizeBeninBermudaBrazilBritish Virgin IslandsCambodiaCayman IslandsChinaChristmas IslandColombiaComorosCook IslandsCosta RicaCuraçaoDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaFijiFranceFrench PolynesiaGambiaGuamGuatemalaGuinea-BissauHaitiHondurasHong KongIndiaIndonesiaIranIsraelJamaicaJapanJordanKenyaKuwaitMadagascarMalaysiaMaldivesMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritiusMayotteMexicoMozambiqueMyanmarNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorfolk IslandOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaPhilippinesPortugalRepublic of the CongoRéunionSaint LuciaSamoaSaudi ArabiaSeychellesSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSudanTaiwanTanzaniaThailandTrinidad and TobagoTurks and Caicos IslandsUnited Arab EmiratesUnited StatesVanuatuVietnam

Read more about the hawksbill turtle

Responsible travel and conservationGili Conservation Projects: Who Does What, and How to Support Them WellRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationBali and Gili Turtles: From the Meat Trade to Nests Left in the SandRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationMoʻorea Lagoon: Rays, Blacktips and Turtles Without TouchingRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationEthical Komodo Diving: Why We Match You With Local TeamsRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationGili Air Conservation Course: How Our Matching WorksRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsSurprising Ocean Animal Facts Scientists Have FoundRead ↗Learn to dive and freediveAmed Freediving: A Quiet Base on Bali’s East CoastRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsGili Air Turtles Have Names: Inside Turtle Photo-IDRead ↗
Sources for this page

Facts checked 26 September 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.

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