Hawksbill Turtles

This turtle is one of seven marine turtle species found along the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans’ shorelines in tropical and subtropical seas. Their population is estimated to be somewhere between 20,000 and 23,000 turtles. However, it is hard to estimate their exact population size correctly since sea turtles are constantly wandering the ocean.

Their global population has declined by at least 80% in the last 30 years as a result of unintentional capture in fishing gear, nesting habitat loss, coral reef erosion, and the illegal trafficking of hawksbill shells and goods.

Further human-caused threats, such as plastic waste, global warming, and rising sea levels, may contribute to the extinction of this turtle species in the future. Hawksbill turtles are officially classified as critically endangered.