The Hawksbill Turtle By: Cali Bradley & Ethan Sanning

The Hawksbill Turtle is a kind of sea turtle. It has a flattened body, a shell and flippers.In the ocean, their bodies can sometimes slightly change color based on the temperature. The typical lifespan of this species is about 30-50 years. They are thought to live about 5 years of their life in the open ocean before they go back to more coastal reefs.

The Hawksbill Turtle lives in the ocean and while they spend some time in the open ocean, they live mostly in shallow lagoons and coral reefs. They live in more tropical waters like the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian ocean. They eat mainly sponges, but will also eat crustaceans, algae, or fish.

The Hawksbill Turtle is critically endangered because humans over-hunted them. Their shell is used for jewelery, hair accesories, and decoration so we hunted them for their shells. Many people also eat their eggs. Like other sea turtles too, they are accidentally caught in fishing nets. Their habitat is also going away.

This species of turtle has a slow reproduction rate, so when we hunt so many the population can't catch up to how many were killed. Studies show that their population has declined as much as 80% over the past 100 years. To get them off the critically endangered list, we will have to stop hunting them and catching them.

Recently, there has been a ban on the capturing of these turtles and trading their shells and meat. Without as many hunters, the population should return to normal. We also have to stop taking away the beaches they lay their eggs on.

In conclusion, humans will have to stop hunting and taking the eggs away in order for the population to return to normal. If we follow the rules set in place, the Hawksbill Turtle, and even other species of turtles, will live for a longer time. Many organizations have been doing work for this cause too.

Credits:

Created with images by Ane11e - "turtle sea underwater" • Pexels - "carapace marine turtle ocean" • skeeze - "turtle sea kemps ridley" • fxxu - "turtle water turtle portrait"

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