Hawksbill Turtle

During a boat dive on Bonaire I slowly snuck up on this Hawksbill turtle that was happily eating his lunch. I sat and watched him eat for a while then other divers came and started taking pictures. Eventually he decided to go for a swim and I followed him as he went to the surface to take a breath.

Unlike other turtles I've seen this one really didn't seem bothered by us at all and really took his time checking us out.

This species unfortunately is endangered. "The hawksbill is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. It is also listed as endangered throughout its range by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. An exhaustive review of the worldwide conservation status concluded that the hawksbill is suspected or known to be declining in 38 of 65 geopolitical units where information is available.

Severe declines were noted in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean region. It is sobering to consider that current nesting levels may be far lower than previously estimated. Despite protective legislation, international trade in hawksbill shells and subsistence use of meat and eggs continue unabated in many countries and pose a significant threat to the survival of the species in the region.

The most recent status review of the hawksbill in the United States recognized that numerous threats still exist despite a decade of protection."
More info on these turtles can be found here:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/hawksbill.htm
http://www.turtles.org/hawksd.htm

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Hawksbill
• Turtle
• Eating
• Swimming
• Endangered
• Species
• Bonaire
• Scuba
• Diving

[ex7ended]

@cowlie7 good achievement :D now you'll have a cool story to tell your grandchildren

[cowlie7]

THATS AMAZING! (the first comment) YAY IM THE FIRST COMMENT WOOOOOOOO TAKE THAT EVERYBODY