Hawksbill Turtle

Sea turtles are just cool! This is my favorite variety, and I love the patterns on its shell and the way it seems to glide effortlessly through the water.

This turtle also brings back a great memory from years ago when I was swimming at Waikiki Beach. I looked down beneath me and suddenly saw what looked like a monster turtle swimming right at my feet. It was a heart-stopping moment at first! Once I realized what I was looking at, though, I just stopped and took it all in.

That moment has stuck with me over the years, and I really appreciate the memories these incredible animals can create. I wanted to capture a little bit of that feeling in this piece.

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Scientific Name: Eretmochelys imbricata

• Habitat: Shallow tropical and subtropical coastal waters, especially coral reefs, rocky areas, lagoons, and reef-associated habitats; adults are strongly associated with healthy coral reefs

• Range: Tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, including Hawaiʻi and the wider Indo-Pacific

• Typical size: Adults commonly reach about 2–3 feet in shell length and weigh roughly 100–150 pounds; larger individuals can occur

• Diet: Primarily sea sponges, along with algae, corals, mollusks, crustaceans, sea urchins, small fish, and other reef organisms

• Known for: Its distinctive hawk-like beak, beautiful overlapping shell plates with amber, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black patterns, and its close association with coral reef ecosystems